Turn Down Those Jingle Bells, This Psychologist Says That Christmas Music Isn't Jolly For Your Health
Everyone has different ideas of when "Christmas" should begin. Some people burst into the Christmas spirit on November 1st and are humming Christmas carols whilst tearing down their Halloween decorations. Others hold out for December, but regardless of when the holiday season begins, there's one thing that people are really divided on; the music.
Some Christmas songs are undoubtedly better than others. But, research has shown that overall, Christmas music may have negative effects on your mental health.
Linda Blair, who is a clinical psychologist, believes that listening to festive jingles over and over again doesn't bring joy to the world--and can actually have adverse effects.
All I Want For Christmas Is You (to have good mental health).
We already know to spare a thought for retail and hospitality workers during the festive season, and to be kind, respectful and understanding customers during the busiest time of year.
But, as Linda Blair said, people who work in shops during the Christmas have to tune out the music in order to be able to focus on their job. They end up spending a large amount of their energy simply trying not to listen to the music.
Psychologist Victoria Williamson reinforces this idea by talking about the "exposure effect." This means that once you've heard a particular song lots of times, the brain begins to find it unpleasant and becomes over-saturated.
The holidays are stressful enough without having to endure the typical holiday tunes on repeat.
We are unlikely to hear less Christmas music in stores, however. Research also shows that the right combination of songs and scent increase a person's likelihood to spend money.
Which explains why by the end of the season, we're all beginning to feel a little frosty towards Christmas music (and our relatives)!
Christmas 29
