(WTEN) – Bah Humbug?
Psychologists say playing Christmas songs on a loop can be bad for retailer workers’ mental health.
“People working in shops at Christmas have to learn how to tune it out – tune out Christmas music because if they don’t, it really does make you unable to focus on anything else,” Clinical Psychologist Linda Blair told Sky News. “You’re simply spending all your energy trying not to hear what you’re hearing.”
According to the study, It’s Beginning to Smell (and Sound) a Lot Like Christmas: The Interactive Effects of Ambient Scent and Music in a Retail Setting, adding Christmas music and scents had a more positive experience shopping.
The study also found that when shops did not play Christmas music during the holidays, consumers had a more negative experience in the store.