Putting your Christmas decorations up NOW makes you happier – experts say so
FORGET Brexit – there’s another big debate that divides the nation.
When is too early to put your Christmas decorations up?
While the Scrooges among us will be disgusted at the mere sight of a bauble before December 1, it turns out the festive fanatics are the ones having the last laugh.
For, those who harness their inner Buddy (think Christmas film classic, Elf) and stick theirs up early really are happier and more relaxed, according to the experts.
Steve McKeown, psychoanalyst and owner of The McKeown Clinic, told Unilad people who start decorating as soon as they’ve blown the candle out on their Halloween pumpkin, are driven by nostalgia.
He said: “In a world full of stress and anxiety people like to associate to things that make them happy and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of childhood.
“Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement.
“So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement.”
Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement
Steve McKeown
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And Amy Morin, psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, told Unilad Christmas is a time when people feel more connected to their past, and loved ones they have lost.
“The holidays serve as a reminder of when a loved one was still alive,” she said.
“Or maybe looking at a Christmas tree reminds someone of what life was like when they still believed in Santa.
“For people who have lost a loved one, it may serve as a reminder of happy times they had with that person.
“Decorating early may help them feel more connected with that individual.”
And past scientific research suggests another theory.
Getting overexcited and “vomiting” Christmas all over your front lawn – there’s a house in every town – is not garish and obscene.
It’s a sign of a friendly family, according to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
The authors wrote: “A main effect for the decorated factor indicated that raters used Christmas decorations as a cue that the residents were friendly.”
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