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Listening to Christmas Songs Too Early May Harm Your Mental Health

Odyssey

The most wonderful time of year may not be the most wonderful season for everyone. If you're constantly around someone who loves playing Christmas tunes before you've even had the chance to take a bite out of your Thanksgiving meal, you may have found that you feel slightly irritated.

Some experts suggest that those who work in retail and are forced to listen to approximately 8 hours of repetitive jolly tunes will not feel so jolly during the holiday season.

Christmas music is supposed to get you in the spirit of giving, but some statistics have shown that what starts out as love for one of the most loved holiday seasons slowly turns to hate.

So hold off on that Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey Christmas soundtrack.

Here's why...

British clinical psychologist Linda Blair argues that the constant exposure to Christmas tunes too early in the season becomes a reminder to "buy presents, cater parties, organize travel, and all the more stressful chores during Christmas".

"You're simply spending all of your energy trying not to hear what you're hearing," Blair told Sky News.

Major retail chains in the U.S. use Christmas music to their advantage. Stores like Best Buy, Walmart, and JC Penny try to get consumers in the holiday spirit early on to maximize their profits. This push is known as the 'Christmas Creep'.

Danny Turner, a programming executive with Mood Media, advises to avoid playing repetitive songs that tend to be more annoying than cheerful.

"The one I have in mind is The 12 Days of Christmas... Once I'm at the third day, I'm counting how many days are left. You don't want any songs that feel like they last for 12 days," Turner told the Times.

Like any song listened to more than a hundred times, it becomes oversaturated and we begin to dislike it. However, that may not be the case for everyone. Some people wish the holiday cheer could last longer.

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