The highest form of resistance is to enjoy life, even in the face of oppression. If you can find a way to live a life of joy in the face of danger, if you have not let them crush your spirit, then you have defeated them. They can affect our bodies, but not our spirit. – Morgan Rice
As a white millennial queer woman in Canada, I have the privilege to say that although I’ve lived through many many giant global traumas, I have not been as affected as many many others. I have gone through my own hardships of course, but I know I am more lucky than most. I say this because despite the blessings I’ve been given, the world is a complete disaster right now and I know MOST PEOPLE are probably feeling overwhelmed and hopeless regardless of your personal struggles.
An an Occupational therapist working with people who are experiencing a lot of personal and systemic challenges, I often can’t give them solutions to problems no matter how much I try, but I can help them find ways to help their mental well-being.
It is a strange feeling (might you agree?) to be stressed and overwhelmed by the state of the world AND do fun nice things for ourselves to enjoy life. Sometimes when you can’t solve the source of the negative emotions and thoughts, you need to move to another strategy of finding ways to cope through it. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, the term occupation in occupational therapy represents the activities you need to do, want to do and are expected to do in your life. One category of occupation we focus on is leisure activities , the things that bring you joy! As someone who’s clients often have so many challenges and hardships, I often like to focus on leisure activities in my sessions to help build a list of things you do for joy and to help you cope with harder times.
Today’s coping tool to add to your collection is DANCING !
Dancing offers several benefits for mental health, including:
- Stress Relief: Physical movement during dance helps to release built-up tension, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. It triggers the release of endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. There is much research on movement for mental health, and dancing (no matter how good or bad you think you are at dancing) can support getting out some pent up anxiety! Try shaking and jumping before a presentation or exam (of course in private if you’re worried about being seen) – I love singing “Shake your sillies out” with my clients !
- Improved Mood: Dancing can enhance your mood by stimulating the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, helping to fight feelings of depression and anxiety. We know that no matter how much you hate working out, it is good for your mood! The great Elle Woods said “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t!”… and dancing is the most fun form of exercise !
- Social Connection: Dancing, especially in groups or with a partner, can foster social interactions, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Depending on your idea of dance, joining classes or dance groups can add a sense of community and friendship. Going out dancing in the evening can help you meet new people and be surrounded by positive energy!
- Cognitive Benefits: Choreographed dancing can be beneficial to our minds as well as body and soul! Dancing improves focus, memory, and concentration as it often involves learning choreography or improvising to the rhythm, helping to keep the brain sharp.
- Mindfulness and Self-Expression: Dance encourages mindfulness and being in the moment, while also providing a creative outlet for self-expression, helping people process emotions in a healthy way. Dance can be a way to be present with yourself and escape from the hard times you may feel yourself in. Dance has such a beautiful history of supporting people through difficult times as they were able to escape from reality for a while and express what may not be able to be put in words
- Improved Sleep: Regular physical activity like dancing can help regulate sleep patterns, promoting deeper and more restful sleep, which is crucial for mental well-being.
- Emotional Release: Dancing allows people to release pent-up emotions in a safe and creative way, which can aid in emotional healing and processing. There are many facilitated dance spaces where you can safely explore release, or simple dancing on your bed in your room.
Whether solo or in a group, dance can serve as a fun, empowering, and therapeutic practice for maintaining mental health! It’s important to remember that dance doesn’t have to be choreographed and beautiful or improvised and creative. Dance can just be movement of your body to movement in a way that feels good! Think of children when they dance, spinning around and around or jumping endlessly. They don’t care about looking cute or cool, they just dance to enjoy themselves! That’s the energy that we need to all try to allow ourselves to keep and bring light back into these darker global times 🩷
Dance it out 🥰🥰🥰
Be Your Own Sunshine 