It’s finally cold enough to start wearing knee high boots and thick jackets without having to defend my decisions, which means it’s officially December.

With the arrival of this joyous month comes holiday spirit, stores bombarding me with Christmas displays, and rampant consumerism as students struggle to find a gift for their 1,0001 friends on a shoestring budget.

You’d think, despite the stress that regularly befalls us all during this season, I would see proof of the holiday spirit around the school. I’m not asking for mistletoe, by any means. Maybe just a few banners or red ribbons; a shared lightness in everyone’s step at the prospect of the upcoming holidays.

Instead, the only way I can tell it’s December is through the sagging bags underneath students’ eyes as the dreary darkness of finals creeps in to scare us all into compliance. The biting winds feel colder and the only thing I can do is fight against the tidal wave of misery and homework looking to overwhelm us all.

And when the only thing bringing the student population together is a shared sense of stress and hopelessness, you know you have a problem.

Of course, all of that stress is neither unusual nor strange. Ever since I entered high school and was unwillingly introduced to the concept of finals and midterms, the holiday season has gotten a lot more complicated.

Like an extension of my circadian rhythm, I can almost predict when my stress levels will be at their highest. Seemingly, no amount of holiday music, Elf on the Shelf, or threats of coal for Christmas can stop the abject misery that pools through me and the rest of RHS students at breakneck speeds.

If I’m being honest, getting distracted by schoolwork is easy – whether you’re worrying about finals or lurking in the back of teachers’ classrooms waiting for a chance to talk to them about finally making up that assignment that’s been missing for three and a half weeks.

And for those of us who still have holiday-related obligation, including presents to wrap – and, I admit, also presents to buy – the prospect of last minute holiday shopping gives me hives.
At the moment, it just seems like another responsibility that will.

Looking ahead, it seems like there’s little to look forward to, beyond the end of finals. The holidays are around the corner, but almost everyone I know has a cloud hanging over their heads.

So just take a moment to breathe in the cool air. Grab yourself a cup of hot chocolate, or something with a few espresso shots, and don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Don’t lose that holiday spirit.

After all, it only comes around once a year.