This post was originally published in November 2016 and last updated in October 2021. It contains affiliate links. See my disclaimer for more.
It's the most horrible time of the year! It's officially November. October is over, and the post-Halloween blues are setting in.
We now have more than 300 days of waiting until our favorite day of the year rolls back around. (And two months of being bombarded with Christmas music to survive—blech!)
But around Spooky Little Halloween, you and I both know a secret the rest of the world doesn't: Halloween is never really over.
That doesn't mean we don't feel those Halloween blues, though. They tend to hit hard as the rest of the world makes a hard left turn into the rest of the holiday season, but I have a few ways I keep my Halloween spirit alive all year.
Today, I'm sharing my updated list with you and inviting you to add to it! Keep reading for more.
7 Ways to Beat the Post-Halloween Blues
Keep the Halloween tunes flowing
Music is SUCH a big mood setter for me. You can bet if I'm working on a Halloween-related project, writing a blog post, or drafting my next zine, I'm listening to some spooky tunes.
There are a handful of year-round Halloween Internet radio stations, but my favorite is Dead Air. They just nail the sound of Halloween! Of course, I have plenty of playlists for your listening pleasure in the archives too. Here are a few of my favorites:
Looking for more? Dig into the playlist archives.
Listen to a Halloween podcast
Okay, listen. There are a LOT of podcasts out there these days. And there are a lot of round-up lists around the Internet that drop creepy story or true crime podcasts into the Halloween category. But if you're looking for listens that are exclusively Halloween, check out these:
The Halloween Haunt (my personal pick—hasn't been updated since 2018, but the back episodes are worth the listen!)
13 Days of Halloween (from Aaron Mahnke of Lore)
Looking for more? Check out my full list of recommendations.
Shop with spooky small businesses
Sure, it's cool when the seasonal shelves at big box stores turn orange and black in the summer...but it's even cooler to discover all the quirky, unique, and delightful offerings from small businesses all over the Internet! I've shared several of my favorites in my Halloween hunting series. You can find even more under my Products I Love tag or in my favorite things lists!
Here are the 10 small businesses I featured on this year's list:
Want more small biz recs all year? Join my It’s Always Code Orange newsletter.
Read a Halloween blog or watch a Halloween vlog
There are way more blogs out there than just mine—and lots of great vlogs too. If you haven't ventured past Spooky Little Halloween yet, allow me to share a few of my good friends who make amazing Halloween content:
Keep a little Halloween decor out all year
I prefer to pack up most of my decor once October is over simply because it makes the actual Halloween season more special to me. But each year, a few more items seem to find their way into my year-round decor.
My living room is home to several skulls as part of my year-round decor, and the jack-o-lantern coffee pot you'll spot in this home tour stays on my coffee bar all year too. Don't be afraid to leave a little nod to spooky season out too!
Here’s how I reuse Halloween decor.
Follow a year-round Halloween account on Instagram
You know, like @spookylittlehalloween! Instagram is such a great space for Halloween lovers, and there are tons of us keeping the spirit alive all year long. I could make a list a mile long of all the awesome accounts I enjoy, but some of my personal favorites include:
For more spooky goodness, jump on Instagram and browse who I'm following!
Get the Halloween feels with an ambiance video
Thanks to reader Anne P. for asking if I had ever heard of the YouTube channel Autumn Cozy. It led me down a rabbit hole of Halloween ambiance videos on the platform, which are perfect for putting on in the background when you need the October feels.
How do you beat the post-Halloween blues?
I'd love to hear your best tips in the comments. Here's to kicking that the post-Halloween blues by keeping the spooky fun going!
