Dr. Elena Touroni tells the Yahoo! news, “This year’s been hard on all of us, and news of another lockdown, with further disappointments and cancelled plans, is likely to have brought up all kinds of difficult thoughts and feelings. Christmas activities like decorating the house or the tree are happy (and often shared) experiences that provide a temporary break from the reality of what’s happening in the world right now. So in this sense, it makes sense that people might be doing these things a little earlier this year. Studies have shown that Christmas decorations can create a neurological shift and spike in dopamine, the feel-good hormone. Whilst people are stuck at home and the clocks have gone back (which means it is dark by 5pm), this is a way to bring some light, smiles, joy and hope.”