Putting up Christmas decorations earlier could make you happier

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Screw it - get the tree up now!

Every year, the world debates when it's socially acceptable to start celebrating Christmas - and while we all have that one neighbour that puts their decorations up in September - new studies show that getting them up earlier could actually make you happier.

Research from psychoanalyst Steve McKeown at The McKeown Clinic suggests the golden time to implement some Christmas cheer comes immediately after Halloween.

"In a world full of stress and anxiety people like to associate to things that make them happy and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of childhood," McKeown told Unilad.

"Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement.

"So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement."

Psychotherapist Amy Morin echoes McKeown's claims, explaining that the nostalgia element of Christmas decorations naturally improves our mental wellbeing.

"Nostalgia helps link people to their personal past, and it helps people understand their identity. For many, putting up Christmas decorations early is a way for them to reconnect with their childhoods."

She also suggests that it can help people to feel closer to dead loved ones, saying that: "decorating early may help them feel more connected with that individual."

But there is also the polar opposite to these situations. Other people suffering from addiction, depression, anxiety or eating disorders may find the festive period particularly hard, reports the Priory group. They have even published some advice that is available here in the hopes of helping people struggling over the next few months.

So if putting up your decorations early gives you that much-needed pump of energy - then do just that. Screw the curtain peepers down the street. Clad your house in all shades of red, white and green.