Happy Halloween friends! It may seem strange that a wellness blogger is talking about Halloween, but I am about to make the case for why Halloween and wellness go together like ghosts and goblins.

Let me preface my diatribe by stating for the record, that I am not Halloween’s hugest fan. Sure, I like me some irreverence and I love me some (dark) chocolate, but I’m not a huge horror fan or into the super scary stuff. My brother got those genes. My husband, in fact, dislikes every aspect of Halloween save passing out candy (although that may be because he’s just eaten all the Skittles). But let’s take a minute and think about what really happens this time of year because something about Halloween captivates a lot of us.

The hallmarks of a person who scores highly in overall wellness include a sense of playfulness and fun, an ability to see themselves in many ways, a drive to (at least occasionally) operate outside their comfort zone, high levels of creativity, and the ability to let go and not take things quite so seriously. If you really think about it, and I mean more than the I-hope-my-kid-gets-an-extra-Snickers-bar side of things, Halloween checks a lot of those boxes.

Think just about the creativity angle. There are two times of year that your local crafts store will be overflowing with themed items. Christmas and the winter holidays and Halloween. You can find everything from silly to downright terrifying in those aisles and it inspires us. I only have to take a look around my own neighborhood. Currently there are six graveyard scenes, about a dozen inflatables, and two yards that might scare the pants off Freddie Kruger. Those people took time and effort to create something, to be inspired and to share it.

And the costumes. We get to be something different for one day. Every. Single. Year. We get to choose what we want and next year, we can be something totally different again. Yes, it may smack a bit of escapism, but it is one day. And it’s certainly healthier than a lot of other options people turn to. We can explore parts of our personalities that, especially as adults, we don’t necessarily get to otherwise. Even if we are just helping our kids with their costumes, the joy they have in pretending to be something… anything… they want to be is awesome.

At least in my experience, there is also little pressure associated with Halloween. Yes, we have to get the kids ready and manage the candy crazies. Yes, there are Halloween parades and trunk or treats that need to be attended and organized. But we don’t get the day off work, so out of town travel is not expected. When things don’t go perfectly, it is more easily brushed off than say burning the ham for Easter dinner might be. It’s a time to actually see your neighbors and have a bit of fun. Even if you sit in the Halloween Grinch section with the hubs, all that is really expected is to pass out candy and to not spoil anything for anyone.

Silliness, playfulness, irreverence, fun. Call it what you want, it’s good for the soul. Each and every one of us needs a bit of it from time to time. Halloween gives us those things in spades. It reminds us, without obligation, to slow down and not only enjoy life but to not take it or ourselves so darn seriously. And, Halloween comes with a heaping side of chocolate!