I watch the news while running on the treadmill. This morning, I watched one of our Myrtle Beach stations report on two different studies.

The first study stated that drinking four cups of coffee per day could have health benefits. Um, seriously? Besides making your body dependent on caffeine and staining your teeth, drinking four cups of anything (besides water) per day must be good for you, right? These random studies that come out all the time stating that drinking a glass of wine each night will make you live longer or eating a candy bar before going to bed will reverse aging always crack me up.

The second study presented results that I have an easier time believing. It said that decorating your residence for Christmas will improve your mood throughout the holiday season.

Our Christmas tree puts me in a good mood (well, holding my daughter puts me in a good mood too).

When I watched this, I said to myself well, duh.

I don’t think this study “discovered” a subtle trigger that makes people happy without them realizing it. I think we can all agree that most of us feel our hearts warm up when we are surrounded by lights, presents, and nativity scenes. However, I wish the study went further and told us exactly how much happier we become once we decorate our homes.

I love arriving home to my house covered in red and green lights.

For me personally, I know my mood improves drastically. Pulling into my driveway after work to green and red laser lights covering my home immediately gives me a shot of dopamine. Having a Christmas tree illuminate our dark living room before going to bed makes me feel warm and cozy. Listening to figurines that play classic Christmas carols transports me right back to when I was a kid.

Christmas is the best time of the year for many reasons, one of them being the festive decorations that surround us. Although none of us needed a study to tell us that, I would argue that the obvious studies are a better use of time spent by our scientists than the questionable ones. Happy decorating! Don’t Blink.