Xmas songs really do drive you crazy

Stressing before Christmas? Listening to the cheerful, jolly music will not help you relax, according to science.

In fact, listening to festive music could harm a person’s mental health, clinical psychologist Linda Blair told Sky News.

Dr Blair said the continuous playing of Christmas music in the car or at stores reminds people of all the things they need to do before the holiday arrives, Fox News reports.

“You’re simply spending all of your energy trying not to hear what you’re hearing,” Dr Blair said.

Dr Blair said store workers were “more at risk” of being mentally drained by the array of cheerful music. The same songs being played constantly makes it hard for employees to “tune it out” and “unable to focus on anything else”.

“Christmas music is likely to irritate people if it’s played too loudly and too early,” she said.

In some retail stores, Christmas songs have been on a constant rotation for months already.

Florida’s Tampa Bay Times reported US electronics store Best Buy began playing holiday music on October 22. A few days later, a host of other department stores followed.

Danny Turner, the programming executive for in-store media provider Mood Media, told the Tampa Bay Times he urged stores to stop playing novelty music because it could annoy customers.

“The one I have in mind is The 12 Days of Christmas,” Turner told the newspaper.

“Once I’m at the third day, I’m counting how many days are left.

“You don’t want any songs that feel like they last for 12 days.”