For high schoolers there’s nothing more familiar than a to-do list. Task after task, completed, uncompleted, due dates, schedules, times, AH! Even writing about it is boring enough, much less living it. High school with its plethora of assignments, tests, and quizzes is a stressful time that isn’t made much better having staying up until 3 a.m. to finish a formal and structured research paper on Crime and Punishment.

There is so much structure and boundaries in our lives that force us to do things we feel we NEED to do rather than things we WANT to. It is time we take more control over our lives and bring back a sense of lightheartedness to everyday tasks.

There should be no reason why someone should have to wait until school is over or the weekend to begin living the life that they want. This is why the joy of tiny acts of whimsy and fun must be incorporated in one way or another to our lives. If not for minor reliefs throughout the day, but for a longer life with a good and balanced mental health.

Inspiration is all around, most concentrated in places where people don’t tend to look. The castles we built as kids or the diaries we keep are such pointed forms of whimsy that as “growing adults” high schoolers seem to steer as far away as possible from. Where else do people expect to find the courage or the place to ask “What if…?” Whimsy garners inspiration which leads through breakthroughs in even the most sophisticated of fields.

Not only is it a catalyst for innovation and creativity, whimsy is a buffer against the relentlessness of modern life. Taking a second for a doodle, a story, or a daydream gives people perspective and a quick fix from the burdening stress that piles up over time. Forgetting whimsy makes for bitter, brittle, and strenuous lives. Who wants that?

Lastly, whimsy is at its core, a preservation of joy. Too many instances cause people to make a decision of need not want. “I need this job”, “I need this amount of money”, “I need this grade”. It becomes repetitive and draining. The decision to choose a WANT or playful wonder reminds people and yourself of the essence of humanity.

Critics or cranky, serious, bitter people often argue that whimsy is a distraction or a waste of time in a world demanding productivity and efficiency. However, what this view fails to see is the risk in trading in short-term efficiency for long-term growth and appreciation. Societies with room for play and imagination are not less than, but stronger and more adaptable. Whimsy is not the archnemesis of hard, focused work but the quiet back engine that stands to be the reason for the most meaningful of achievements.

So, readers, make room for the unnecessary: wear mismatched socks, use glitter pens over regular ones, bake cookies in fun shapes, hum tunes walking down the street, and maybe even jump into puddles rather than avoiding them. Make your life fun and reclaim whimsy back into your life and live with joy.