Thursday, November 8th 2018, 2:17 pm
Ignore the eye rolls. If you can't wait to pull out those Christmas decorations before carving the turkey on Thanksgiving Day, go ahead. Experts say it can make you a happier person.
According to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, people often associate holiday decorations with feelings of nostalgia and excitement from childhood.
"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 the childhood,” psychoanalyst Steve McKeown, the founder of MindFixers, told UNILAD.
"Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement," he continued. "So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement!"
This sense of nostalgia can definitely boost your happiness, but it can also be mixed with feelings of sadness. If someone has lost a loved one, for example, decorating can help connect them with positive memories.
"For some people it’s bittersweet -- if family members are no longer here -- but it's still a way to connect," Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist, told ABC News.
The study also suggested that those who decorate for Christmas are perceived as friendlier, especially among their neighbors.
November 8th, 2018
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