The 31st of October is a day for kids and bigger kids to celebrate a day of costumes and candy galore. This very social holiday will definitely have to be altered this year to keep everyone safe through omitting activities where the coronavirus may spread. Instead of masses of children saying “trick or treat” or adults coming together to party in their costumes, everyone will likely have to stop ordinary traditions to start new ones to continue flattening the curve.
For someone in recovery, change can be daunting. Everything they have already had to alter due to the lockdowns that have occurred nationally may have given them high anxiety. When they think about what that means for Halloween in 2020, they could easily conjure up the cravings and urges to drink or use to curb their disappointment. Rather than making things worse, enjoying this holiday with some new customs will bring out some spooky sober fun!
Host a Virtual Pumpkin Carving Contest
Even if you cannot meet in person, there are tons of online platforms to meet on. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, and Facebook Messenger all make it so that you can host plenty of people online. Have everyone bring a pumpkin and a carving kit so everyone can get creative together. Set a time limit to finish the pumpkins. Once time’s up, you can display your pumpkin in your virtual box for viewing. You may not have the same carving experience as in-person, but at least you are keeping up with the tradition to carry on for another year.
“Spook” Your Friends
While this is not something new, spooking your friends or neighbors will go a long way in staying connected this year with all the COVID-19 restrictions in place. The point of spooking your friends is to put a goody basket on their porch stating they have been “spooked” and then they will pay it forward. You can send sanitized items to them, such as candy bags that have not been opened, a fun Halloween sign, or even some toilet paper! Show them they are cared for by safely reaching out with some holiday spirit.
Run a Virtual Halloween 5k
Since you may not be able to walk the block trick or treating this year, get your steps in with a virtual 5k. You can run/walk your race at any time during the morning, noon, or night to walk off the extra calories of this candy-heavy holiday. Plus, if you sign up for the race, you might get some swag, such as a Halloween 5k shirt or a 5k medal to commemorate 2020 as one of the most ghostly years in a while.
You have to go to any lengths in your recovery to gain some success, and you can have the same outlook with Halloween. Do whatever it takes to have some ghoulish enjoyment so that you can try to keep as much normalcy as you can. Recovery is all about learning how to go with the flow. Try your best to let yourself have the same spooktacular time like you do every Halloween. Be in acceptance that this year may look slightly different, but the hocus pocus will carry on.
Valiant Living wants you to have a safe and entertaining Halloween while staying sober from drugs and alcohol. If you, or someone you know, are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, we are here to walk you through every step of the way. Through evidence-based therapy options and the endless adventure of Colorado, Valiant fosters connection and a community of recovery-focused individuals. With the power of recovery, clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Call us today to get started with the next steps of recovery at (303) 952-5035.
