The benefits of putting up Christmas decorations early, according to science

Putting the Christmas decorations up gives you a boost of dopamine. Photo / Getty Images

Desperate to see the end of this year? You're not alone.

Christmas decorations bring many people joy at the best of times and we've never been more desperate for a bit of extra cheer.

Festive displays around the world are going up a bit earlier this year, and even Mariah Carey's Christmas classic "All I want for Christmas" is topping the charts before December even begins.

New York City psychologist Melissa Robinson-Brown told the Huffington Post it makes complete sense for people to put up their Christmas decorations early this year.

"People are longing for happiness and joy," she said.

"This year has been a significant year of grief and loss: loss of freedom, loss of time with family, loss of income and job, and loss of loved ones, just to name a few. As such, people are seeking comfort and even healing."

Robinson-Brown is not the only mental health expert to call for people to put up their tree a bit earlier.

Ryan Howes, a psychologist from California, and author of the "Mental Health Journal for Men", also urges people to do so if it makes them happy: "If starting your holiday season in August was your desire, go for it and feel no shame."

"Many studies found that the anticipation of something can be a powerful, positive, and important part of a happier life. So, decorating earlier could be a really simple way to build some healthy holiday season anticipation, Marsha Chinichian, the resident clinical psychotherapist at Mindshine, told Country Living.

"Decorating early really isn't a bad idea at all," she added. "Studies show that decorating for the holidays improves mood and ignites positive memories."

In fact, the actual act of putting up your decorations can give you a boost of dopamine, the happy hormone. "Holiday decorating ignites the child in each of us, eliciting positive emotions," Chinichian explains.

The idea is echoed by LA psychologist Erlanger Turner, who urged people to do whatever they could to lift their spirits this year.

"As a psychologist, I often talk about the connection between our thoughts, emotions and behaviours," Turner said. "Given the stress of the pandemic, thinking about positive images is one way to help prevent stress or anxiety. Decorating your home may serve as a cue of positive memories and emotions, which can be really helpful to promote joy and prevent sadness."

In the US, a survey shows 45 per cent of people are putting up their holiday decorations earlier, and quoting the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for it.

"People are just missing family and joy and this gives them something to look forward to,"
psychotherapist Dr Kathryn Smerling told the Daily Mail.

"The main thing is that it's something to look forward to. It may not mean too much in 2020, but it gives people a feeling that there is an anticipatory holiday coming up."

So go ahead and hang the wreath outside your door, put up the tree, hang up the lights, blast Mariah's song - because science says so.