Picture this: It’s a brisk November day. I have a Starbucks red cup in my hand, I’m wrapped in my giant blanket scarf, and “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (the SuperFestive version, of course) is ringing through my ears. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Well…brace yourself, because this might be the worst news you hear all day. According to clinical psychologist and author Linda Blair, listening to too much Christmas music could be bad for your mental health.
I know what you’re thinking: What happened to the Grinch and why is Linda Blair taking over his role? But it turns out Blair’s just looking out for us, and she has some solid points. Basically, Christmas music is to get you into the holiday spirit, right? To retail stores, the “holiday spirit” equates to customers spending money, so these stores have every incentive to overplay Christmas music as much as possible.
As Blair told Sky News, “Christmas music is likely to irritate people if it’s played too loudly and too early. It might make us feel that we’re trapped —it’s a reminder that we have to buy presents, cater for people, organize celebrations. Some people will react to that by making impulse purchases, which the retailer likes. Others might just walk out of the shop. It’s a risk.”
*Starts listening to Christmas music early*
Obi-Wan: pic.twitter.com/0x10oLhuqJ
— STAR WARS LIFE (@LifeOfStarWars) November 6, 2017
The mental health issue really comes into play when you’re the one working in the store, because then you can’t just walk out.
“People working in the shops at Christmas have to [tune out] Christmas music, because if they don’t, it really does stop you from being able to focus on anything else,” Blair said. “You’re simply spending all of your energy trying not to hear what you’re hearing.”
It totally makes sense that when certain songs are played over and over all day at work, they would stop sounding like “holiday cheer” and start sounding like consumerism and stress.
Basically, Christmas music is fine in moderation, but there is such thing as too much of it — especially when you associate it with the stress of the holiday season. So don’t be afraid to jam to some “Under the Mistletoe” if you’re feeling the spirit, but remember that the Christmas season is a marathon, not a sprint.