Halloween is just 25 days away, an American holiday of costuming and sugar highs. If you are smart, you have got this date on your calendar. You probably know the routine of “trick or treating” hours for your city or town – the hours that kids are encouraged to do their candy getting. Your church or community might even have a party for the kids (lots of adults dress for this holiday too) so there is no danger when the kids are wandering around in the dark, getting cold and “begging” for candy.
The stores are filled with costumes. Many are fashioned after some of the latest characters on TV or the movies. What could be more fun that dressing up with friends and family; celebrating the Halloween holiday with sweet things and taking some time off to enjoy each other?
HOWEVER, most of the time it does not play out that way. Here is what typically happens, I am told:
- Halloween arrives and the kids are asking for costumes that have been gone from the stores for weeks
- The candy left in the stores to give out is yucky
- You ate all the candy you bought 3 weeks ago so you would have candy the night of Halloween
- No one is sure what time the kids are supposed to be on the streets and the kids have been ready to go for 2 hours
- You decide that maybe you won’t participate because it is just too much trouble, but are afraid of what will be done to your house if you don’t participate
- It just too blasted cold to go out and your kids are dressed as aqua man and a ballerina – can’t wear coats of sweaters with those costumes
- The church is having a party, but you forgot to make a donation and now you are not going without something to bring
And why is it that all this happens every year? Just this way? With so much stress?
If I can share a story of my girls when they were little, it might help with the answer.
Halloween as a non-costume putting on adult who works all day is really not so much fun. (we are talking about me here) We have an adult mindset which reacts to anything outside of our very precarious daily routine. Most of the time Halloween is on a weekday evening so everything turns the routine into chaos.
My very delightful little girls loved Halloween. LOVED IT. We had pumpkin cutouts on the frig weeks before the day. We talked about costumes and fairy dust and princess wands and all of that for weeks. And you know who really messed with the fun of the holiday?
Me.
I would not and did not get into the joy and the anticipation of this really wonderful holiday.
The day before Halloween, I would try to talk my little girls into being ghosts again this year cause pulling the sheets out of the linen closet and putting them on their bodies with cut out eyes was EASY.
Well one year instead of hosting the door and handing out the goodies, I went out with my girls and had a blast.
- I met the neighbors
- Got to see all the clever costumes that the mommies made
- Shared time with other parents taking their kids around
- Did some networking too (we business people are always networking)
Score one for the kids. I now appreciate Halloween so much more; put it on my calendar; have stopped my grumbling and welcome the new costumes each year.
You have so many options for Halloween:
- Town sponsored parties
- Church sponsored parties
- Neighborhood get-togethers
- Kids helping with the festivities
Stress relieving tip for Halloween. Buy a mustache, glue it on your face and buy stickers and give them to everyone you know.
Play. Appreciate. Anticipate. Enjoy the energy. Look at it through different eyes.
Halloween is the first holiday of this 3 month holiday season. Practice your stress reducing attitude and see how it serves you for the balance of this holiday season.
You can always hire me to live stream to your laptop, tablet or device with some really funny, thought provoking and timely way to reduce stress…whether it is during the holidays or not.
Deep breath. This stress reduction and enjoying the holidays could be the start of something new!
My love,
P.S. I am going as a ghost again this year. Why waste the sheets with the holes in them?
Wellness Stress Tips:
- Sugar can shut down the immune system – reduce the intake of sugar
- Increase your vitamin C because stress and sugar just eat it up so fast
- Hydrate with water – coffee, tea, sodas etc are not as hydrating as water
- Foods containing protein help us to keep from overeating