It turns out having a real Christmas tree can make you happier than a fake one.
So don't worry about the pine needles on the floor, because new research finds being able to smell a real tree can create the same healing effect as being in nature.
It can also help you cope better with stress or mental fatigue, according to the Telegraph.
9 out of 10 people in the study preferred a real tree at home, because they said it felt cosy, welcoming and pretty.
Dr Birgitta Gatersleben, an environmental psychologist at the University of Surrey, said: “People who live near nature report higher wellbeing and satisfaction with life. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that people recover more quickly from stress and mental fatigue when exposed to natural, as opposed to built-up and ‘fake’ environments.
“Indeed, plants in offices have been shown to have a positive effect on the wellbeing and creativity of workers.”
“Evergreen plants seem alive when everything else appears dead. Indeed, it is the depth of colour of real trees and the smell that really appeals to people, as well as the notion that something alive is coming indoors,” Dr Gatersleben said.
