Pre-Halloween Stress Disorder – Cause and Cure
Pre-Halloween Stress Disorder can affect all of us in the weeks or days prior to the actual holiday. Anxiety over finding the perfect costume, deciding which party to go to, determining whether to host your own party, whether to do a joint costume or go it alone, are all symptoms of the disorder.
Perhaps the worst part of P.H.S.D. is when you finally come up with a costume idea, over a few drinks with friends on Friday night, only to wake up on Saturday and realize that the idea was not funny, not unique, and perhaps even slightly disturbing.
And as the day approaches and your lack of creative ideas are making your palms sweat and your heart race as if Freddy Kreuger were running you down a dream, use these simple guidelines to get you through your bout with P.H.S.D.
1. Avoid the Halloween Store (save it for an emergency). If you suffer from P.H.S.D., the thought of buying a pre-fab costume can be as frightening as the holiday itself. Sexy nurse, kitten, dark fairy? Oh my! Start to notice people in music, movies, and commercials that make you laugh or are intriguing. How about dressing up as the girl from the Progressive Insurance commercials or being a character from Zombieland? Jump on a creative costume idea before it hits the superstore in a plastic bag.
2. Make it a team effort. Getting a group of people together to create a costume can take some pressure off you as an individual or couple. During my most fun Halloweens I’ve been part of a Halloween cast of characters from A Clockwork Orange and Battle Royal. Getting in to character for an entire evening with your closest friends can always make the evening more fun.
3. Scrap the costume – and plan a party. Make the party one where your friends can get together and do adult versions of your favorite fall festivities. Spike some cider. Bob for apples in a cauldron of rum. Ask your friends to bring any masks, wigs, and props they own to the party. Put them in a pile and have fun dressing up with what’s available.
P.H.S.D. does not have to ruin your Halloween fun. Finding alternative sources of inspiration, making it a group effort, and hosting a bunch of friends can help alleviate the symptoms of P.H.S.D.
Pic courtesy of www.getgreatcostumes.com
