Listening To Too Much Christmas Music Could Be Bad For Your Mental Health
Is it really a 'Silent Night'?
By Andrea Tang — 18 Oct 2018, 12:55 PM
It's nearing December and that means Michael Bublé is defrosting as we speak
Jokes aside, Christmas music is already making its way into our ears as we are approaching the festive season.
However, studies have shown that listening to Christmas music excessively is actually bad for your mental health
According to clinical psychologist Linda Blair, listening to festive tunes can drain you mentally. This is especially for those who work in stores that blast Christmas music for almost the entire day.
"If they don't (tune Christmas music out), it really does stop you from being able to focus on anything else," she told Sky News.
Besides the great feeling of nostalgia, festive music can cause boredom, annoyance, and even distress
According to psychologist Victoria Williamson, festive tunes can have a psychological impact known as the "mere exposure effect".
She adds that the holidays can already be stressful for some that have to worry about money, relatives, and traveling, as they may find the tunes as a reminder of the cause of their stress.
It is also reported that festive tunes can affect employee productivity and irritate consumers.
Nonetheless, companies see playing festive music as a way to get customers in the mood for spending
Psychologist Eric Spangenberg found that "holiday appropriate" music combined with "holiday scents" does influence shoppers by increasing how long they spend in a store as well as their intentions to revisit and purchase.
"Slower tempo music slows down shoppers, and they spend more time and money in a store," he adds.