Halloween is so much fun – carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating and of course the crazy fancy dress. But there are also some really important lessons we can take from Halloween about how to overcome our fears. Read on to find out how you can use Halloween to help get over any anxieties or worries you may have.
1. There’s strength in numbers
Group costumes are many girls’ favourite part of Halloween. Whether you want to rock up as Taylor Swift’s girl power Bad Blood clique, or maybe the girls from Scream Queens, group costumes are sure to get you noticed at Unit 1 or the Lemmy. Equally, in ‘real life’ if you’re worried or anxious about something, sharing the problem with your best friends can be a great way to lessen the burden, or help you realise that your girls are there for you.
2. Things aren’t as scary as they seem
When it’s dark, and there’s spooky music playing, and freaky decorations, Halloween can seem much scarier than the same surroundings would feel by the light of day. A haunted house in the sunshine just doesn’t have the same fear factor as it does at night –which goes to show that things often aren’t as scary as they seem. Of course meeting new people at uni or starting an important essay can feel totally overwhelming. But don’t forget to breathe, and try to realise that lots of the apparently scary parts of uni are also the most exciting.
3. You have more control than you think
Who are you going to dress up as? Which candy are you going to choose? Trick or treat? At Halloween, you have control over all these choices. And in life, you also have much more control than you may think. At uni you have a lot of control over your food, exercise, daily routine and social life. So if you find yourself stressing out, try to remember that you can be in the driving seat of your own life! Just like you can choose Trick or Treat, you can choose to try and make the most of every day and learn from the hard stuff life throws at you. You’ve got this, girl!
4. We all have a lot in common
On October 31st, girls all across the world will be sorting out their costumes, carving pumpkins and deciding whether to go for red or purple lipstick. This goes to show that although we’re all beautiful individuals, we go through a lot of the same experiences, and feel the same mixed-up emotions. All of us stress about deadlines, worry about not fitting in, and panic when we think we’ve said something embarrassing in front of that cute guy or girl we’re crushing on. You are not alone. Don’t feel scared to talk to someone if you’re worried about something: the chances are, they might be worried about a very similar thing too.
5. Everything has its season
Halloween is great fun, there’s no denying it. But, like everything in life, it’s only here for a season. Before Halloween we were all trying to top up our tans; Bonfire Night is just around the corner; and before we know it we’ll be dusting off our Christmas jumpers! Everything we go through will pass: and that can be really helpful to remember in good and bad situations. In good situations it can remind us to live in the moment and make the most of every second, and in hard times it can remind us that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel and good times are ahead.
So here’s to a fab Halloween full of amazing costumes and really fun memories and realising that you’re brave and strong enough to cope with anything life throws at you. Enjoy yourself, girl!