Why is it good to be scared?

Being scared is sometimes looked at as a beneficial thing. Fear creates an immune response in the body. It keeps your body alarmed in case of a situation where you have to respond quickly to a harmful situation. Even psychological fear, such as watching a scary movie, causes the body to think it's under threat. The system responds quickly giving the body adrenaline, which boosts the immune system, the same way as exercise does.

It’s OK to be scared this Halloween, it can even be healthy for you. “Fear, or getting scared, is an emotion that’s part of our biology as human beings, just like other emotions such as sadness, joy and anger,” says Steve Orma. Being scared alerts you to harm. When we get scared, our bodies react physically so we can handle the danger. For example, if a bus is racing towards you, our fear gives us the ability to react in a split second and jump out of the way.

Watching scary movies can give you much more than a good scare, which can also help relieve stress and anxiety. “Horror can actually teach us how to handle real-world stress better,” Oaklee said. People may not realize being scared is a good thing until they are in a situation where they use quick reactions and stress less.

Many people scare themselves consciously, and not just on Halloween. They watch scary movies, sky dive, mountain climb, escape rooms, and the list goes on. “Fear makes us feel alive and know we are stepping outside our comfort zones, which is exciting,” says Dr. Orma. The excitement increases your adrenaline, which creates even more excitement. It makes it easier to ease our mind and focus on that activity.

Occasionally, the best thing to do for yourself is to check out of the real world and try things that bring a smile, and possibly a scare with your experience.