Spooky behaviors can haunt us past Halloween!

What costume will you be wearing on Halloween? How will it affect your personality? We got to thinking about this because on Halloween, it’s fun to dress up and pretend to be a different personality. Robert Brault said, “There’s a child in every one of us who is still looking for a brightly-lit front porch.” Some popular costumes are angels, dancers or celebrities along with costumes of witches, ghosts and devils. Costumes help people take on different personality traits and behaviors for Halloween.

Halloween is a time when people enjoy being scared. As we thought about it more, it’s also scary, but not so enjoyable, when people show spooky Halloween behaviors past Halloween. If they display behaviors of angels, dancers, celebrities or other positive characters, it’s great. However, occasionally, people can change from what we consider their normal behavior to exhibiting negative behaviors similar to what witches, ghosts and devilish characters might do. Let’s look at these three spooky behaviors!

“Witchy” behaviors can sometimes show up in people when they are crabby, disrespectful and overbearing. You can ask if you can do anything to help them feel better. Help where you can, but they may decline your offer. They’re possibly having a bad day. If you take on their mood, the result is that you can feel miserable, too. We always say, “If someone is upset, don’t let the negativity ooze on you.” You can only be responsible for your own attitude. So, go on and make your day enjoyable. A wise person once said, “Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

“Ghost-like” behaviors often appear when people feel they have been slighted in some way. They become quiet – like a ghost. Sometimes it’s difficult to get them to say what happened that made them upset. They hang around silently and when you ask what’s wrong, they say, “Nothing.” This situation can be sooo frustrating because you can tell something’s not right but there seems to be no way to fix it. Sometimes, just allowing time to think and process could be the best course of action. On another day, the situation may look completely different. As things calm down, there’s a better chance to have communication flow and find a successful resolution. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “With the new day comes new strengths and new thoughts.”

“Devilish” behaviors on Halloween can be funny, but in everyday life, devilish behaviors can contribute to hurt in many ways. These behaviors include stirring up trouble, blaming others, and getting people angry at each other. One way to possibly bring resolution to problems that arise is to get all the parties involved together to discuss the matters. This avoids miscommunication that can occur if messages are passed around and get misinterpreted. Hopefully, when people are together they can come to solutions that are agreeable to all involved. Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

What about you? How are relationships showing up in your life?

Some ideas: First, take note of how you show up to others and how others are showing up in your relationships. We all have some days when we know our behavior could be better. We can get off track and display some of these negative Halloween behaviors. When we have situations that trigger strong feelings in us, it helps to take a moment to think about how we want to communicate. It’s not always easy, but noticing is the first step to making positive changes. As we slow down we can decide how we want to be as we interact with those around us.

If we are in relationships where other people sometimes display behaviors of the witch, ghost or devilish characters, we’ll want to find a way to avoid getting caught up in the negative. If these people are close to us, it’s worth the effort to help things change. Sometimes, simply reinforcing their positive behaviors can help to actually diminish the negative ones. If negative behaviors seriously impact life, it can be helpful to reach out to professionals to facilitate behavior change.

As we all learn how to avoid those spooky Halloween behaviors, there can be more harmony and better relationships. Hopefully, those witchy, ghost-like and devilish behaviors won’t haunt us past Halloween and they’ll just be a playful part of Halloween night. Happy Halloween!

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2019 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.