It’s the spookiest time of year, and if you’re a scaredy-cat, you know what that means: it’s time to survive all those haunted house attractions that your friends are going to drag you to. If that idea fills you with dread, never fear! I’m here to give you the best tips to survive all the ghosts and ghouls. As a certified scaredy-cat myself, as well as a lover of Halloween Horror Nights, I’m well-qualified to advise on this topic. If you follow my guide, you’ll be loving haunted houses in no time!
1. Use the buddy system
This is an easy one. If you have a buddy/human shield to cling to as you scurry through the house, you’ll automatically feel safer. Pro-tip: pick someone who’s even more scared than you, because then the bad guys will be more prone to target them instead of you! If your buddy happens to be super cute, you’ll be double winning.
2. Wear sneakers
There’s a very solid chance that you’ll end up sprinting at some point. As a scaredy-cat, you’re more likely to have a “flight” response than a “fight” one, so be prepared to react to that response and get running! Almost every haunted house I’ve been to involves at least some chainsaw-wielding crazies chasing after you; trust me, you’re going to want to run as fast as you can.
3. Avoid eye contact
If you’re at a haunted house and you want to avoid attention from the ghosts or ghouls, just don’t look at them! If you pretend you don’t notice them, they probably won’t bother going after you and will look for someone else to scare. Admittedly, it’s not exactly easy to avoid acknowledging an approaching spook. Just look straight ahead and hope they’ll leave you alone.
4. Remember that it’s all for fun!
You’re out there to have a good time, after all! It can be really fun to play along with the bad guys and let yourself feel a little spooked. If that sounds like a bad idea to you, maybe just stay home and watch Hocus Pocus instead — more power to you! Remember how I said I’m a certified scaredy-cat myself? Fun fact: Hocus Pocus gave me nightmares the first time I saw it. If I can make it through a haunted house, so can you!