Spooky season is unarguably one of the best seasons. Okay, that may be a very biased opinion; but regardless of your personal stance on it, every year it returns and is a very prominent part of the October experience. especially if you attend university.
Of course, there are the traditional ways spooky season is celebrated in universities: the parties, costumes, pumpkin carving, apple picking, group gatherings, fall fits and of course pumpkin spice everything. However, one thing I’ve learned from my many tried and failed Spooky Season Bucket lists is that depending on budgets, exam schedules and friends’ plans, a fun and full spooky season can feel very unattainable.
Romanticizing spooky season is so much more than celebrating Halloween. It’s the season of midterms, seasonal change and the last bit of air before getting sucked into exam season. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate Halloween, making the most of the season can make the rest of the semester feel at least a little more manageable.
Romanticizing your life is not so much about accomplishing every little bucket list thing, but rather doing the little things to make daily life feel good. It’s almost like making yourself the main character in a movie. Throughout the course of a movie, the main character is not always doing something magnificent. Sometimes, they are just walking down the street or drinking a coffee. However, regardless of what they’re doing, they’re still the main character. Capturing that feeling for yourself is one example of how to romanticize life. Here is my personal list of how to make the most of this season, regardless of how you spend your Halloween.
- do one thing a day to externally feel good
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While your feelings internally are ultimately the most important, setting a little time each day for your external self can go a long way. Whether that’s spending an hour doing your makeup or hair in a way you like, or something small like taking a shower. Making yourself a part of the daily priority list can leave you feeling uplifted and reset your mind.
- do one thing a day for your internal self
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As mentioned, internal you is the most important you. Fall can feel stressful, whether that’s because of school, finances, seasonal change or other things. It can leave your head feeling jumbled and not as enjoyable as it should be. Do one thing a day that breaks the stress and leaves you feeling like for that period of time, the only focus was yourself. Personally, I love journaling and working out. However, for you, it may be reading, watching a sports game, drinking tea and playing music or even cooking. Something that has no benefit other than making YOU feel good.
- make yourself a fall playlist
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As a university student, I think it’s fair to say we all rely on music a decent amount. Whether it’s listening to it while you study, walk to classes, workout, get ready or even just listening to it to listen. Making yourself a seasonal playlist or finding a premade seasonal playlist can help set the tone for the season. It separates it from others and gives it a specific feeling that’s unique to this one time of year.
- Try one new seasonal activity
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Another way to make the season feel special is by making the most of what fall has to offer. Some things specific to Canadian falls are apple harvesting, leaves changing colour and autumn flavours. Some examples of seasonal activities can be as big as a group trip to a haunted house or pumpkin patch, or as small as finding a new fall drink.
- make two lists – goals and wants
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As mentioned earlier, sometimes bucket lists are not always attainable and can have us feeling sad, or like we did not make the most of the season. This can be a huge downer on your mood and mental state. That’s why I personally make two lists: the goal list and the want list. The goal list is something that is already in reach with needed effort but is not a push. For me, my goal list includes things like:
- Finding a new fall drink
- Watching one Halloween movie a week
- Baking Halloween cookies
- Carving a pumpkin
In my opinion, the key to a good goal list is making it completely about YOU. The minute you add others to your goal list (for example, taking a group trip to the pumpkin patch), you leave that up to chance and out of your control. The point of a goal list is things that will leave you feeling good and accomplished. You want it to break your normal routine but be attainable enough to feel like a challenge NOT a stressor.
Then we have the want list. These are things that would be nice to accomplish, however are extras outside of your goal list. Making them a want and not a need eliminates the pressure to complete them, and the feeling of under accomplishment if you don’t do them. This is not to say you shouldn’t try to complete them, but sometimes with school schedules and budgets, things get in the way. My example of a goal list are things that such as:
- Going to a haunted house
- Having a Halloween costume contest
- Getting new cozy sweaters
- Having a pumpkin carving day
At the end of the day, romanticizing your life isn’t a practice, it’s a mindset. While these are my number one ways of ensuring I stay the main character of my life during a stressful season, how you choose to find your balance is up to you. Just remember, spooky season comes every year. Figuring out how to make it work and be enjoyable, not just how to get through it, can make a huge difference in maintaining good mental health.