People who put their Christmas decorations up early are happier, science says

Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of childhood.

I know it's only October but Christmas is a mere two months away and I cannot wait for it. Is it a tad too early for supermarkets to be displaying their Christmas stock? Maybe, but it is filling me with joy, and isn't that what we all need after the past two years? A little festive joy never hurt anyone. Embracing the festive spirit is actually good for your mood, according to science. People who put their Christmas decorations up early are actually happier than those who don't. If like me, you'd happily cover the house in fairy lights all year round then science has some pretty wonderful news. "Christmas decorating will spike dopamine, a feel-good hormone. It does create that neurological shift that can produce happiness," said psychologist Deborah Serani. A happy switch is literally flipped when we put our festive decorations up. Scientists believe the colour and lights help boost our mood. This is known as chromotherapy. The twinkly lights and merry decorations give off positive and hopeful energy. Experts also believe those who decorate early benefit from feelings of nostalgia. "Although there could be a number of symptomatic reasons why someone would want to obsessively put up decorations early, it's most commonly for nostalgic reasons, either to relive the magic or to compensate for past neglect," Psychoanalyst, Steve McKeown said in an interview with UniLad. "In a world full of stress and anxiety people like to associate with things that make them happy and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of childhood," he added. "Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So, putting up those Christmas decorations early extends the excitement!" This means it's totally okay to hang up some fairy lights and possibly watch Home Alone this weekend, right?