Don't you just love early Christmas music? What do you mean no?

Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall? Of course not, we're barely in November.
Music goes right to our emotions immediatelyMusic goes right to our emotions immediately
Music goes right to our emotions immediately

However, if you’re in one of the nation’s supermarkets, you’ve probably already had the dulcet tones of Noddy Holder bellowing you (and everybody) a Merry Christmas.

Which may be a little irritating, if a 2015 YouGov survey is to believed. The poll found only 4 per cent of people enjoy hearing Christmas music more than a month before the 25th (of December, for clarity). In fact, more people (5 per cent) would prefer Shaky, Cliff and Greg to put a stocking in it until the night before.

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Despite that, some of our supermarkets and chainstores insist on terrorising us a full eight weeks before it’s decent to do so. And this can not only be an annoyance, it can actually damage our mental health.

Clinical psychologist Linda Blair says that an aural diet of carols and upbeat festival cheer can make us anxious, perhaps about the amount of preparation required.

“Music goes right to our emotions immediately and it bypasses rationality,” Blair said in an interview with Sky News.

“It might make us feel that we’re trapped – It’s a reminder that we have to buy presents, cater for people, organize celebrations. Some people will react to that by making impulse purchases, which the retailer likes," she said.

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That same YouGov poll also found that the vast majority of Brits would prefer the build-up to Christmas to start one month before the big day.

Of course, customers merely in stores to pick up regular shopping may vote with their feet - Blair agrees that some shoppers might well “walk out of the shop. It’s a risk.”

But if you’re being driven to distraction by three minutes of Bing, Bruce, or Band Aid, spare a thought for the shop workers whose only option is to "tune out" songs that they're hearing on repeat for weeks on end.

Indeed, union USDAW told Sky News: "We ask employers to consider the staff who have to listen to Christmas music all day, because playing the same songs repeatedly can become very irritating and distracting."

Certainly one group who will not be wishing it could be Christmas every day - for them, for a couple of months, it already is.