Today is my travel day back home. I will not get into JFK until 12:30 am. Yes, I have to work tomorrow and that is daunting. As I take a moment to look back at some of the pictures from this trip, I was struck by the Christmas tree standing in the park from my hotel window.

I want to be really mindful of being present in the moment and not letting myself get pulled into a frenzy of the holiday season.  Yes, Thanksgiving is the week, and yes Christmas is right around the corner. That’s kind of stressful. One of my brilliant Saturday morning members shared that there was research done and that Christmas music prokes stress reactions in people. That makes sense but that’s also sad.

what does this mean for my weight loss and good health goals?  When I struggle to pay attention and maintain my stamina for the program during a stressful time of year I find that I begin to disengage.  My leader, Bonnie, said that she sees membership drop off during the holidays so I think I might be onto something.

I will most likely be writing about this because I realize how easy it would be to go on autopilot (no pun intended since I will be boarding a plane soon) and just eat mindlessly, or use it as an excuse to as Rose said, “Throw on my sneakers and go for a walk.”

For me, one goal is to name my struggles and work from there. Please think of me and wish me safe travels. More tomorrow…