Psychologists Explain The Benefits Of Decorating Early For The Holidays

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Psychologists Explain The Benefits Of Decorating Early For The Holidays

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For many Americans, the unwritten rule is to wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating for the December holidays. Once the last leftovers have been eaten, out come the Christmas trees, wreaths, menorahs, lights and various cheerful tchotchkes. But in , people seem to be breaking with tradition and putting up their decorations early &#; and that could be a good thing, mental health experts say.

Scroll through social media and you&#;ll find friends, influencers and celebrities already sharing photos of their festive living room setups or lawn displays, the rules about when it&#;s &#;appropriate&#; to decorate be damned.

One Ohio woman, who for the first time ever put up decorations the day after Halloween, told Cleveland.com, &#;There has been so much doom and gloom and so much stress and misinformation and absolute torture in that I said, &#;My lights are going up, and they&#;re going on,&#; because I need that. We all need that. I wanted to make myself happy and to maybe bring a bit of cheer and pretty lights to somebody else.&#;

It makes sense that more people are trying to get into the holiday spirit earlier this year, said New York City psychologist Melissa Robinson-Brown.

&#;People are longing for happiness and joy,&#; she told HuffPost. &#;This year has been a significant year of grief and loss: loss of freedom, loss of time with family, loss of income and job, and loss of loved ones, just to name a few. As such, people are seeking comfort and even healing.&#;

Plus, many of our beloved holiday traditions &#; like parties with friends and family gatherings &#; may be on pause because of COVID-19. Decorating is one way we can safely and healthfully lift our spirits.

&#;Drop the judgment. If it makes you feel good, this is the year to do it,&#; said Ryan Howes, a psychologist in Pasadena, California, and author of the &#;Mental Health Journal for Men.&#; &#;If starting your holiday season in August was your desire, go for it and feel no shame.&#;

We asked psychologists to share some of the potential mental and emotional health benefits of decorating early this year, if that&#;s your thing.

It may evoke comforting memories from happier times.

Putting up the tree and adorning your living space with lights and garlands may trigger nostalgia, reminding you of warm holiday memories from your childhood. For people who are unable to physically celebrate with their loved ones this year, thinking back to positive experiences from the past may bring comfort. Decorating early means you&#;ll get to soak up these good vibes for a few extra weeks.

&#;As a psychologist, I often talk about the connection between our thoughts, emotions and behaviors,&#; said Los Angeles psychologist Erlanger Turner, an assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University. &#;Given the stress of the pandemic, thinking about positive images is one way to help prevent stress or anxiety. Decorating your home may serve as a cue of positive memories and emotions, which can be really helpful to promote joy and prevent sadness.&#;

Smell is also strongly tied to memory, so consider lighting a scented candle that reminds you of sitting by your grandparents&#; fireplace or getting a real tree, instead of an artificial one, for that piney fragrance.

&#;If someone has a holiday smell that sparks positive emotions or memories, having that smell around has a potential to lift your mood,&#; said Atlanta psychologist Rebecca Leslie of Living Fully Psychological Services.

It&#;s a healthy distraction from the heaviness of .

While it&#;s important to let yourself feel your feelings (yes, even the unpleasant ones), that doesn&#;t mean you need to be consumed with fear and anxiety 24/7. Finding healthy ways to take your mind off all that&#;s happening in the world can provide some relief and help you cope.

&#;There have been so many heavy events this year, including the pandemic, racial injustice and the election,&#; Robinson-Brown said. &#;It&#;s easy for folks to get caught up and even obsessed with what&#;s going on in the media, which can heighten feelings of anxiety and depression. Decorating early provides great distraction and a pleasurable activity in which to engage.&#;

&#;Decorating your home may serve as a cue of positive memories and emotions, which can be really helpful to promote joy.&#;

It makes you feel a little more in control.

So much of what&#;s happened this year has been far outside our control. We can&#;t individually end the pandemic, stop police violence or change political turmoil &#; and this can make us feel powerless at times.

&#;We can do our part, but it takes a massive effort from many people to make these changes, and this contributes to a feeling of helplessness,&#; Howes said.

Mental health experts recommend focusing on what you can control in order to abate some of the anxiety prompted by , so why not make one of those focuses your decorations? You have the ability to make your home feel like a cozy oasis despite the chaos outside.

&#;If you can transform your living room into a winter wonderland, this can give you a feeling of control and efficacy that has been missing in ,&#; Howes said.

It can help you look forward to something uplifting.

In a year filled with dread, building positive anticipation has been a challenge. But when you look at your decorations, you start daydreaming about the good times ahead: watching holiday movies with your kids, blasting holiday music in the car, baking cookies, getting some time off from work or school, and opening presents.

&#;At a time where we&#;ve had few things to look forward to, the holidays are a welcomed shift from dread to excitement,&#; Howes said.

That said, decorating isn&#;t right for everyone.

For many people, the holidays may actually be a dark time &#; particularly for those who had difficult childhoods or are grieving the loss of a loved one.

&#;If decorating also triggers stressful memories, decorating sooner this year may not be beneficial,&#; Leslie said.

And even people who normally enjoy the holidays may find it difficult to do so this year.

&#;If the decorations spark sadness around not being able to be with family for the holidays, having them up for a long period of time would not be beneficial,&#; Leslie added.

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Before you can dive into the process of decorating your home, you need to establish your vision. There are all kinds of practical tips and tricks for home decor. But before you can get into the fundamentals, it is important to first capture the essence. What is home decor about? How should it be approached? What is the overall goal? These are questions that must be addressed before getting into the details of where to hang a particular picture, or which wall the couch should sit against. And, to help you answer them, you can have a look at these home decor quotes by famous people.

Image: this mama loves life

Below are fifteen home decor quotes, each chosen to express the essence of home decor, and to speak the abstract, overarching concept of designing a home. I hope you will find them helpful and inspirational as you create a unique and personalized vision for your space.

Inspirational home decor quotes

1- &#;Design is coming to grips with one&#;s real lifestyle, one&#;s real place in the world. Rooms should not be put together for show but to nourish one&#;s well being.&#; &#; Albert Hadley

It can be very tempting to decorate your home based on what you think will be appealing to others. How often do we choose colors and styles and artwork with someone else&#;s voice in the back of our mind, drowning out our own preferences? One of the most important things to keep in mind while decorating is that your home is about you. You are the one that needs to be comfortable there. You are the one that needs to look at the color of the walls and stare at the painting above the mantle every day.

While it is good to have a home that is visually appealing, you should not be designing your home around other people&#;s opinions and preferences. Your own desires should rule. Your home should represent your lifestyle, not a false image that you feel pressured to present.

2- &#;For a house to be successful, the objects in it must communicate with one another, respond and balance one another.&#; &#; Andre Putman

One of the most accurate home decor quotes, I must say! Ideally, rooms should be cohesive, giving a sense of connection, rather than appearing as a hodgepodge of random items tossed together. The colors should complement each other. The decor items and artwork should be selected with intention. Pieces should fit together like a puzzle, and the room should be envisioned and approached as a whole &#; one whole message being sent, rather than individual words or fragments. When finished, the rooms should bring on a feeling of peace and orderliness, not one of discord or anxiety.

3- &#;As we evolve, our homes should too.&#; &#; Suzanne Tucker

Your home represents your life as you journey from one chapter to the next. As your life grows and develops, so should your home. While you learn more about yourself, your home should reflect that exploration. And as you mature in sophistication, the aesthetics of your home should likewise elevate, indicating the changes and developments within.

Image: nesting with grace

4- &#;One should never be the oldest thing in one&#;s house.&#; &#; Patsy Stone

Antiques and decor from different eras bring character to your home. They display a reverence for the ages beyond one&#;s own lifetime, pointing back to the history that brought us to where we are today. While not every home must contain a wealth of antiques, a few thoughtfully placed pieces add sophistication to a home, not to mention making great conversation pieces for guests.

Image: Patina Living Book, The heartwarming story of how the Giannetties live and entertain in the well-designed and lushly planted gardens of their farm in Ojai, California.

5- &#;The details are not the details, they make the design.&#; &#; Charles Eames

It is tempting to believe that the details of home decor are just that &#; minor details that don&#;t require much thought or intention. But as with so many aspects of life, the small things are actually the big things. It is the details of a home that determine whether it is sophisticated or classless, neat or untidy, thoughtful or meaningless. Pay close attention to details when you decorate and it will go a long way. Details that flow naturally with one marry the individual elements of a home, creating one cohesive overall design.

Image: Tayone Studio

6- &#;Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.&#; &#; Leonardo da Vinci

Sometimes it seems like the more decoration one adds to a home, the more sophisticated it will be. On the contrary, when it comes to interior design, less is often more. Simplicity in home decor brings peace and provides an overall feel of cleanliness. Too many items or colors, or the mixing of many styles together, creates stimulatory overload. This will look cluttered and thoughtless, and can even create a feeling of anxiety. Remember that when it comes to home decor, less is more.

Image: H&H

7- &#;For those who are afraid of mixing different wood tones, I would say not only can you, but you must. If all woods are the same, it looks like bad hotel decorating.&#; &#; Alexa Hampton

Wood tones can be a controversial subject. Often we hesitate to combine them in fear of creating a clash. While it is important to ensure that the wood tones you mix are compatible stains and styles, this is a home decor method that adds character and promotes visual appeal. With the same shade and stain of wood all over the house, a home risks appearing boring and monotonous.

8- &#;A room should feel collected, not decorated.&#; &#; Elsie de Wolfe

Do not think of each room as an assortment of decorations or pieces. Rather, think of it as one work of art that will be viewed and taken in as a whole. &#;Decorations&#; are for the holidays &#; placing stockings on the mantle for Christmas, and bringing out the festive red and green soap dispensers for the bathrooms. The word &#;decoration&#; itself gives off a sense that you are choosing individual pieces that will adorn an otherwise bland space, and that you are selecting them in an isolated way, with the ultimate goal of making the room appear less boring. This is not the spirit of home decor. A room should look and feel like an art piece that is whole and complete &#; one full, cohesive message or thought &#; not something &#;decorated.&#;

Image: @ohmydearblog

9- &#;Every room needs a touch of black, just as it needs at least one antique piece.&#; &#; Jan Showers

People often think that using black in home decor will make a room depressing. We associate black with anger, or with a feeling of inner darkness. Certainly, too much black can give off this sense. This is not a suggestion to paint all the walls black and to buy long, dreary blackout curtains to keep sunlight at bay. Touches of black here and there, however, make a room complete. It contributes a focal point at the darkest end of the color spectrum, creating contrast with the rest of the room. In this way it adds depth, especially if it is just subtle enough not to be overpowering.

10- &#;Clutter isn&#;t just the stuff in your closet. It&#;s anything that gets between you and the life that you want to be living.&#; &#; Peter Walsh

Clutter is so ubiquitous that we often don&#;t even notice when it is present. We are used to excess, accustomed to having more than what is necessary. We have long been taught that more is better, and this idea is reinforced in almost every area of our lives. As a result, clutter abounds. Clutter is anything you do not need, anything that is not necessary to the life you are trying to build or the image you are looking to present. It is anything that distracts from true meaning, or anything that promotes thoughtless excess over carefully curated intention.

Image: elmueble

11- &#;Luxury, to me, is not about buying expensive things; it&#;s about living in a way where you appreciate things.&#; &#; Oscar de la Renta

Luxury, in the end, is about choice. It is about customization of yourself and the elements of your life, including your home. It does not always represent expense, even though that is a common association. Your selections should represent you and the things you appreciate in life. Your home decor should have meaning, ultimately pointing back to your personality and lifestyle.

12- &#;The best design projects are the ones where people broke the rules.&#; &#; Nate Berkus

The rules exist so that they can be learned and then respectfully bent or broken. A home that adheres carefully to all the rules, in the end will lack an important element of creativity and inspiration. Learn the rules and see which ones work for you. Then do your dreaming, and allow yourself to bend certain rules where necessary. Don&#;t break all the rules at once &#; they are important guideposts. But break a rule here and there in the spirit of individuality.

Image: Milk

13- &#;We shape our homes and then our homes shape us.&#; &#; Winston Churchill

Our homes represent us, and vice versa. It is a more mutual relationship than we realize. We choose our home and decide how we will fill it, how we will use it as a canvas to convey ourselves to the world. But our homes have a role in forming us as well. This is why we must design them well when it comes to home decor. If your home is cluttered and there is no sense of unity among the rooms, your mind will begin to feel the same way. If your home becomes a physical manifestation of disorganization and anxiety, you will soon feel those same elements in the other areas of your life. When you take care of your home, you take care of yourself.

Image: Interior Magasinet

14- &#;I am going to make everything around me beautiful, that will be my life.&#; &#; Elsie de Wolfe

Beauty is often underrated and frequently misunderstood. We must make an effort to begin noticing and appreciating beauty in our everyday lives. If you make your home beautiful, it will reinforce the beauty you are able to see, and your life will reflect more beauty. You will notice beauty more often. It all starts with the home. Make your home beautiful and beauty will abound in all areas of your life.

Image: harlowe james

15- &#;If you love something, it will work. That&#;s the only real rule.&#; &#; Bunny Williams

This is probably the most important idea in home decor. In the end, your home is about what you love. Your home should always feel like home. It should never cease to be a representation of who you are and what you are about. If you love something, this is the clearest indication that you should go for it, even if it breaks a rule. Even if it does not make sense to others. Even if it looks strange, and you&#;re not sure how it will work. If you love it, if you&#;re passionate about it, you will find a way to make it work. This is the most important rule. It is all about what you love.

Image: nesting with grace

Image: Etsy

At the end of the day, the home is about the person. Without the person who creates the essence of the interior space &#; complete with their unique personality, tastes, and set of experiences &#; a home is merely a shell. When you decorate, you create. You bring yourself to the space and color it with meaning. Hopefully these quotes have provided a bit of insight into what this looks like, and what home decor is about at its deepest level.

I really hope you liked these home decor quotes. Do you have a favorite one? Feel free to share it in the comment below!

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