Facing Your Fears: 5 Tips on How Halloween Can Help You Confront Anxiety
As the leaves begin to fall around this time of year, the spooky season of Halloween begins. This time of year consists of haunted decorations, horror films, and playful costumes. While Halloween is a festive celebration, it can also serve as an opportunity to confront your fears and anxieties in a safe environment. Let’s explore how engaging with spooky themes can help you build resilience and face what frightens you.
Participating in the fun that Halloween brings allows us to explore our fears without the real-life consequences that our true lives can sometimes bring. Taking advantage of this time can be incredibly therapeutic.
Here are a few ways to embrace it:
Creative Expression: Dressing up in costumes lets us express different aspects of our personalities. By embodying a character through fashion, style, makeup, hair or behavior we can explore aspects of ourselves we don’t normally engage with. This grants a safe space to discover parts of yourself and promote self-acceptance, which are helpful in overcoming your fears.
Exposure Therapy in Disguise: Facing your fears in a controlled setting can be a form of exposure therapy. You can use exposure therapy to gradually expose yourself to a feared object or situation in a safe and controlled environment so that eventually the fear becomes desensitized. So when you watch a horror movie or venture through a haunted house, you can confront feelings of fear and anxiety without actual danger. This exposure helps desensitize your brain to the triggers that typically cause anxiety.
Connection with Others: Halloween is a time for gatherings - whether it’s trick-or-treating, parties, or community events. Socializing with others can reduce feelings of isolation and provide a support system which is an essential part of your mental health. Engaging in group activities allows us to share fears, laugh together, and foster connections that can alleviate anxiety.
Treat Yourself: If the horror and scary themes are not your style, use Halloween as an excuse to create a cozy environment where you can light candles, bake cookies, decorate for fall, or watch feel-good movies. Self-soothing in a safe environment is a great way to calm your nervous system.
Turn Frights into Insights: Utilize this time in autumn to reflect on the challenges you face by confronting your fears. Journaling about your strengths or just acknowledging what fears exist for you is a way for you to tune into your body. Taking time for reflection is an amazing way to feel in control and therefore reduce symptoms of anxiety.
If you are struggling with your symptoms of anxiety, do not hesitate to reach out to our SGTG therapists who specialize in treating anxiety using evidence-based approaches. A therapist can help establish a neutral, safe space to explore and understand your feelings. Contact us for a consultation!
About the Author
Maddie Persanyi, LCPC is a clinical therapist specializing in anxiety, relationship issues, self-esteem, life transition, and trauma. She incorporates IFS, CBT, and strength-based therapy into her treatment. Read more about Maddie here.