Note: The views, information and, opinions expressed in this blog are solely of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Free Your Mind Initiative and Speak Your Mind. The contents of this blog are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In the event of a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 911 or other local emergency numbers immediately.
Sometimes during the holidays we can feel a little lonely. Especially in times like these where we can’t always go out or have large groups of people it can make us feel depressed, sad, discouraged. (Unless you’re an introvert like me) Do yourself some justice and take advantage of the holiday season, embrace the Halloween spirit, plan your own event for one, or if you can invite some other people, ask if they want to tag along as well (You never know they may also be lonely and it could really help them out).
Get Your Spook On By Dressing Up! Nothing feels more like Halloween than dressing up, you can make, buy or reuse a costume, it doesn’t matter, do whatever makes you feel like you can get into the holiday spirit. In case you were ever curious why we wear costumes on Halloween here is a brief history from CNN ‘It was believed that, during the festival, the world of the gods became visible to humans, resulting in supernatural mischief. Some people offered treats and food to the gods, while others wore disguises — such as animal skins and heads — so that wandering spirits might mistake them for one of their own. ‘Hiding behind their costumes, villagers often played pranks on one another, but blamed the spirits,’ Bannatyne said. ‘Masks and cover-ups came to be seen as means to get away with things. That’s continued throughout Halloween’s evolution.’” (https://www.cnn.com/style/article/history-of-halloween-costumes/index.html)
Carve A Pumpkin! My favourite thing to do on or around Halloween is to carve a spooky looking pumpkin, or if you don’t want the mess just paint on it. If you do choose to carve a pumpkin make sure to save the seeds for roasting! Pumpkin seeds are super easy, just give em’ a wash, dry them off season then season them, there are lots or different recipes out there for seasoning ideas. Anything from sweet to salty, to spicy! Once you season them bake at 350℉ (177℃) for 12 to 15 mins. And then boom your done and you have a little snack for later.
If You Can Go Trick-Or-Treating! Universally most areas are still allowing trick or treating, with the virus outbreak I understand if you can’t, but if Trick-Or-Treating is happening in your area do it! Most locations you have to be under the age of 16, but realistically people don’t care how old you are. A lot of the time the people giving you candy are most likely older than you and probably see you still as a child even if you are 17-25+. Just wear a mask (they’ll never know.)
Stay Home And Bake Some Goodies, or you can buy some (it’s usually more fun to make them). Baking or buying some spooky treats can really get you in the holiday spirit, whether it’s dirty bandages and dirt cake graveyards, to caramel/ candy apples to spider cookies and cupcakes! It all tastes good and is 100% spooky fun! Plus you can make some to share, or keep for school snacks/ after school snacks for the next couple days.
Make A Spooky Song Playlist, you can listen to it on your way home from school, or work, or even while you’re baking your spooky treats or carving your pumpkin. Music can really help to distract the mind, but also set a spooky atmosphere, so don’t be afraid to play some Halloween jams. There are some really good ones out there!
Watch Some Spooky Movies, either your favourites or new ones you never watched before. If you’re looking for some suggestions some of my favourites to watch are Adams Family, Edward ScissorHands, Hocus Pocus, Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows, Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, any Studio Ghibli movie and Friday 13 (Please note that some of the movies listed may have content not suitable for all audiences and please check beforehand if you are easily offended or triggered by certain topics)
Tell Some Scary Stories. If you like to be scared, maybe try to write some scary stories of your own or read some Creepy-pastas by yourself or with a friend, but be careful don’t to get too scared. If reading isn’t for you, maybe play some horror games, like Slender man : Eight Pages, Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion, Doki Doki Literature Club, or Cube Escape: Paradox. (Please note that the games listed may have content not suitable for all audiences and please check beforehand if you are easily offended or triggered by certain topics). Another suggestion for non-horror lovers would be too print some Halloween colouring pages, and crosswords. I mean they aren’t just for kids they’re for all people of all ages!
I know quarantine can be tough, and on top of that having to deal with being alone during even small gimmicky holidays can hit a little too hard. So pick one or all of the things of this list and use it to create your own spooky Halloween fun, even if it has to be alone.
Note: The Free Your Mind Mental Health Society is an independent youth-led organization. The contents of this blog are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In the event of a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 911 or other local emergency numbers immediately.