I know I'm not the only one who still has their Christmas decorations up in the summer.
By the time I start to think about packing them up, it's close to September and I know Christmas is only a few months away, so what's the point?
Besides, the lights add more life to my quiet suburban street at night.
I know not all my neighbors love them, but I've had more compliments than negative comments.
Turns out, studies have shown that people who keep or put Christmas decorations up earlier are happier, healthier, and more friendly people.
A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that Christmas decorations can have an impact on your mental and social well-being.
Steve McKeown, a psychoanalyst at The McKeown Clinic, told UNILAD that many people associate these festive decorations with their childhood.
"Although there could be a number of symptomatic reasons why someone would want to obsessively put up decorations early, most commonly for nostalgic reasons either to relive the magic or to compensate for past neglect."
He added that people can associate these objects with happy thoughts.
"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," he said.
"Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement."
As for your social life, putting up decorations early makes you appear more "friendly" and approachable to your neighbors.
"The results support the idea that residents can use their home's exterior to communicate attachment and possibly to integrate themselves into a neighborhood's social activities," the study said.
The same way Christmas decorations stir up your sense of nostalgia, it does the same for others in your neighborhood.
"It may be a bittersweet feeling. Perhaps the holidays serve as a reminder of when a loved one was still alive. Or maybe looking at a Christmas tree reminds someone of what life was like when they still believed in Santa," Amy Morin, psychotherapist and best-selling author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do, told UNILAD.
Christmas decorations can help to keep the doctor away? This may have some legitimacy.
When you feel happy, your body releases "happy hormones" like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin in your brain.
These hormones are natural pain killers, enhance your memory and energy levels, reduce depression, and boost your immune system.
Does this apply to you? Let us know in the comments why or why you don't put up Christmas decorations early!
[H/T: Better Homes & Gardens / UNILAD]
