At lunch the other day, one of my friends brought up the subject of decorating for the holidays early. And immediately, I felt my body relax as my thoughts drifted back to the happy memories of childhood celebrations. My friend also smiled, reminding me how much fun decorating for the holidays can be. The holidays are one of the few times in the year when the whole world conspires to love. Moreover, today’s research indicates that decorating for the holidays early can positively affect you. When you consider how much stress you experience, just in your day-to-day life, you can see how an interlude of happiness and merriment can affect your feelings of well-being.

Not only that, but the idea of decorating for the holidays brings back your childhood emotions of anticipation, excitement, and those magical moments of sheer joy. Not to mention the impact and satisfaction of accessing all of your creative energy. By decorating early, you are reliving those warm and fuzzy holiday feelings from home.

Also, through the single focus of decorating, you can activate your brain’s default mode network, evoking positive feelings while defusing the negative. Neuroscience tells us that when the mind wanders, it experiences negative emotions, but more positive feelings emerge once focused. Further, these feelings of well-being can stimulate your neuro-transmitters, creating feelings of optimism and good cheer. And, as you know, joyful emotions are contagious and can spread through an entire neighborhood, creating an atmosphere of friendliness and social activity.

On the other hand, not everyone has happy memories of the holidays. In these cases, it’s important to recognize your feelings and establish new traditions for you and your family, offering an opportunity for fresh and meaningful memories.

A healthy way to move past feelings of stress, depression, and sadness is to use your energy in a positive and constructive manner. By focusing on others, you teach your children how to activate their altruistic sense of compassion and goodwill. Acting on those feelings through random acts of kindness, can help you and your children reduce stress. And, by decorating early with your family, you can replace those feelings of anxiety and stress with the warm glow of satisfaction.

By decorating early for the holidays, not only can you connect to your childhood memories but also to those loved ones lost over time. Now, you and your family have the perfect moment to experience what the holidays are really about: bonding, togetherness, giving, and making memories.

Author(s)

  • Dr. Gail Gross

    Author and Parenting, Relationships, and Human Behavior Expert

    Dr. Gail Gross, Ph.D., Ed.D., M.Ed., a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and member of APA Division 39, is a nationally recognized family, child development, and human behavior expert, author, and educator. Her positive and integrative approach to difficult issues helps families navigate today’s complex problems. Dr. Gross is frequently called upon by national and regional media to offer her insight on topics involving family relationships, education, behavior, and development issues. A dependable authority, Dr. Gross has contributed to broadcast, print and online media including CNN, the Today Show, CNBC's The Doctors, Hollywood Reporter, FOX radio, FOX’s The O’Reilly Factor, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Times of India, People magazine, Parents magazine, Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine, USA Today, Univision, ABC, CBS, and KHOU's Great Day Houston Show. She is a veteran radio talk show host as well as the host of the nationally syndicated PBS program, “Let’s Talk.” Also, Dr. Gross has written a semi-weekly blog for The Huffington Post and has blogged at EmpowHER.com since 2013. Recently, Houston Women's Magazine named her One of Houston's Most Influential Women of 2016. Dr. Gross is a longtime leader in finding solutions to the nation’s toughest education challenges. She co-founded the first-of-its kind Cuney Home School with her husband Jenard, in partnership with Texas Southern University. The school serves as a national model for improving the academic performance of students from housing projects by engaging the parents. Dr. Gross also has a public school elementary and secondary campus in Texas that has been named for her. Additionally, she recently completed leading a landmark, year-long study in the Houston Independent School District to examine how stress-reduction affects academics, attendance, and bullying in elementary school students, and a second study on stress and its effects on learning. Such work has earned her accolades from distinguished leaders such as the Dalai Lama, who presented her with the first Spirit of Freedom award in 1998. More recently, she was honored in 2013 with the Jung Institute award. She also received the Good Heart Humanitarian Award from Jewish Women International, Perth Amboy High School Hall of Fame Award, the Great Texan of the Year Award, the Houston Best Dressed Hall of Fame Award, Trailblazer Award, Get Real New York City Convention's 2014 Blogging Award, and Woman of Influence Award. Dr. Gross’ book, The Only Way Out Is Through, is available on Amazon now and offers strategies for life’s transitions including coping with loss, drawing from dealing with the death of her own daughter. Her next book, How to Build Your Baby’s Brain, is also available on Amazon now and teaches parents how to enhance their child’s learning potential by understanding and recognizing their various development stages. And her first research book was published by Random House in 1987 on health and skin care titled Beautiful Skin. Dr. Gross has created 8 audio tapes on relaxation and stress reduction that can be purchased on Amazon.com. Most recently, Dr. Gross’s book, The Only Way Out is Through, was named a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Silver Medal finalist in 2020 and Winner of the 2021 Independent Press Awards in the categories of Death & Dying as well as Grief. Her latest book, How to Build Your Baby’s Brain, was the National Parenting Product Awards winner in 2019, the Nautilus Book Awards winner in 2019, ranked the No. 1 Best New Parenting Book in 2019 and listed among the Top 10 Parenting Books to Read in 2020 by BookAuthority, as well as the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Gold Medal winner in 2020 and Winner of the 2021 Independent Press Awards in the category of How-To. Dr. Gross received a BS in Education and an Ed.D. (Doctorate of Education) with a specialty in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Houston. She earned her Master’s degree in Secondary Education with a focus on Psychology from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Dr. Gross received her second PhD in Psychology, with a concentration in Jungian studies. Dr. Gross was the recipient of Kappa Delta Pi An International Honor Society in Education. Dr. Gross was elected member of the International English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta.