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hidden halloween fears

As October comes to an end and the temperatures finally begin to drop in middle Tennessee, talk of Halloween is everywhere. Orange and black wrapped candy is all over the grocery stores and kids and adults alike are beginning to talk about their costumes. While all of this feels exciting, I also find a small pit in my stomach thinking about what plans I will make around Halloween.

As with other holidays, for me, Halloween brings up the worry of if I am going to find something “fun enough” to do, or worthy enough to post on my Instagram. In my experience, I’ve noticed this concern comes with a feeling of loneliness.

In recent days, I took the risk of sharing these worries with friends of mine. To my surprise, I learned that they too were having similar concerns. In this moment I felt a sense of mutual empathy. With this, my feelings of loneliness began to morph into connection. Connection with someone else having the same struggle that I was experiencing. In talking with them I also found myself grounded in the fact that holidays don’t have to be about stress or getting the perfect social media picture. Instead, it is about a time of connection with the people I enjoy.

With this realization, I have decided to make this Halloween less about how I think it is “supposed” to look and more about what is going to make me feel connected to others.

If you are struggling with feelings of loneliness or difficulty processing emotions about the upcoming holidays, please reach out to us at 615-591-5262.

This blog post was written by current master’s level counseling intern Michelle Nagy.