Halloween was a fun holiday while I was a child, but now that I have grown up and am a college student, my Halloween looks a little bit different. I find myself having trouble getting into the spirit and excitement of the fall and Halloween season. I decided that this semester I was going to change this because I have the power to change my life, even if it is something as simple as getting excited for the season. I decorated my bedroom and bought a fall scented essential oil to diffuse throughout my room. I made a list of fall and Halloween movies to watch, and I try to watch one fall movie or episode every day or at least listen to some fall music. Taylor Swift’s new music is already added to my fall playlist.
I have found myself growing happier because of all of these little things I have done to appreciate a simple part of life. At home my parents always did all of this and more for me so it was not until this year that I decided to take matters into my own hands because I have gone two years without spending fall and Halloween at home. I recommend this for everyone, even those of you out there that are not a fan of Halloween. Personally I am not a fan of scary things like haunted houses or scary movies. Instead I enjoy taking walks and looking at the leaves changing colors and watching something that makes me feel good like “Gilmore Girls” or “Halloween Town.”
These fall habits take hardly any time from my everyday life, yet they contribute a lot to my overall well-being. I have been in the fall spirit since September started. It is my way of trying to cancel out seasonal depression and do some exciting stuff for myself instead of just studying all of the time. I recommend this to anyone that does not feel as excited about life right now because it is these sort of silly things that make you feel like you are a little child again and help you to regain that feeling of excitement. Even though you are most likely not going trick or treating this year, as a college student you can still celebrate Halloween with your friends and by yourself. Nothing is going to change if you do not take the initiative to spice up your life.
So, go get your pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks and put on a good movie because you deserve to relax and strengthen your mental health after being stuck at school and/or work for so long. Start adding brightness and color to your days. Make a list of movies to watch, do something that scares you every day of October, bake a fall treat once a week. Do whatever sparks your interest and helps you get into the fall spirit and hopefully you will also become excited for everything fall-related again instead of jumping to the Christmas spirit, which I know firsthand is easy to do.