Christmas carols beating down on your system? We understand you. Moreover, these melodies could well harm your mental health by dint of hearing them.
Certainly, from November 1, 2021, the singer Mariah Carey decreed on the networks that the end of year celebrations had started, to the dismay of those who can no longer bear her hit. “All I want for christmas is you “and many other ultra-kitsch Christmas songs. A hatred whose legitimacy science confirms: Christmas carols may well harm our mental health… It was British psychologist Linda Blair who gave these conclusions to Skynews. According to her, Christmas carols are bad for mental health, because they are heady to say the least. Indeed, we challenge you to listen to Mariah Carey without having it in your head the rest of the day.
In psychology, this phenomenon is called “the effect of simple exposure.” To get a song out of your mind, you have to put in an extra effort compared to a classical song, which can be mentally exhausting. If listening to Christmas carols makes us feel good, hearing them on repeat, for example at the shopping center, can quickly be very annoying. “There is a connection to the song called ‘U shape relationship’ (i.e. the relation decreases first then increases, or vice versa, editor’s note) between the number of times we hear music we like and our subsequent reaction to it “, Dr. Victoria Williamson also told NCB News.
No doubt, we love Christmas, its hot chocolate, its decorations and of course its songs … But in small doses! We will therefore make sure to listen to Mariah Carey or “Long live the wind” and “Small Santa” with moderation.