“Happy holidays, happy holidays, while the merry bells keep ringing, happy holidays to you” rang in my mind as soon as I was assigned this story. Americans are bombarded with the idea of happiness, and the message comes in an increased dosage during the holidays.

Everywhere we look, there are commercials of smiling families, songs about the simple joys of life, bright lights and cold nights and an ever-mounting pressure to somehow find time amongst the chaos to be…happy.

  And yet, as high school students, we are wrapped up with stress. Finals, college, gift giving, jobs, extracurriculars, parties, W.I.S.H. fundraising, and family commitments are thrust upon us, given as a gift of an overwhelming schedule. Usually, we just throw a bow on top of our busy lives and call it “holiday cheer,” but that’s not fair– we should be truly happy.

  Believe it or not, happiness does not actually come from material things. Shocking to all of you, I’m sure. Perhaps the key to happiness during the holidays is not all the things we surround ourselves with, but the gift of unwinding and enjoying where you’re at in life.

So, how do we do this? I wouldn’t call myself a happiness expert, but I have a few ideas.

1. De-stress. Time management is important. You’ve been hearing it for years so this is old news (haha journalism puns), but it’s true, especially when your time is so limited. Go to the M.A.S.H. for half of your lunch and get ahead on things. Don’t forget to enjoy all of the W.I.S.H. bake sales. Try brightening your room with Christmas lights to cheer you up!  

Simple things like these will add a little holiday cheer into even the most trying tasks.  `    There’s a lot of pressure to find peace during the holidays, but that’s impossible when we are so aggravated that we can hardly take a breath. When you find yourself getting overwhelmed with a to-do list as long as Santa’s, it’s important to take a step back. In the wise words of Tom Haverford from “Parks and Rec” —  “Treat yo’ self.” Take a bath, watch an episode of your favorite show, take a nap, do whatever makes you happy, and then finish up what needs to get done with at least a little positivity.

1. Focus on what matters to you. We’re on the brink of being adults, so we’re old enough to know where our priorities lie. What makes you happy? Take the time to ask yourself —  what do you actually enjoy? Make your schedule according to what you value. Yes, I’m sure some family events are mandatory and homework has to get done, but as young adults, we have the freedom to choose what we do with a good portion of our time.
2. Enjoy! Give yourself an evening with loved ones to forget about unchecked items on your to-do list. If you celebrate by going to your place of worship, baking, shopping, being with friends or singing along to the radio, go ahead and allow time to do that. Frank Sinatra tells us to “Forget your troubles, come on get happy,” so try and take his advice.

Happiness is different for every person; to me, it’s singing Christmas music in church, seeing my 9-year-old neighbor scooter up to my house to ask me to color with her, writing letters to friends about how much they mean to me, and jamming out to Mariah Carey’s masterpiece, “All I Want for Christmas is You.

I really hope that you can be happy. It’s hard to do that amidst the pressure of the holidays, the rest of the world keeps turning while we try to stand still. Do yourself a favor, take some time and look around at the beautiful things in life, even for just a little while.