Halloween can be one of the most difficult holidays for emotional eaters. It is often a particularly difficult day for mothers. The abundance of candy, the pressure to come up with a great Halloween costume for your child, and the anxiety of having candy all around the house, can be too much for many people who struggle with food and body image issues.
In the past, Halloween was considered to be mostly a children’s holiday, but now it is celebrated by people of all ages. It can be a great opportunity to have fun, engage in creativity, and socialize with people—making up for some of the isolation of the last few years. However, the displays in stores would lead us to believe that the holiday is all about candy.
It is, however, possible to get through the holiday without overeating or indulging in unhealthy eating behaviors. If you are worried that having candy in the house for trick-or-treaters is going to trigger you, you can give out nonfood “treats” such as coins, favors from dollar- or party stores, or decorative pencils.
Instead of focusing on the candy, think of Halloween as an opportunity to recapture the child within you who can have fun and be silly. One way to be proactive is to plan your own adult Halloween party. Ask people to come in costume, and you can even let your guests know in advance that there will be a prize for costumes in particular categories. You might reward guests for the best likeness of a famous person, best storybook character, or most original monster. Additionally, you may want to look online for cooperative adult games. If you really want to get into the spirit of things, you could check out playingwithmurder.com, which offers downloadable murder mystery party kits.
The most important thing is to enjoy the day.