Dance for mental health– it is about more than just moving your hips to the sound of music. It can actually be a very therapeutic activity that helps you improve your mental health and well-being.
Here are seven reasons why dancing is good for your mental health:
1) It Can Ease Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety
Physical activity, such as dancing, releases endorphins (2). Endorphins are hormones that can elevate your mood and reduce stress.
In fact, endorphins can be even more effective for reducing stress than prescription drugs or alcohol. Also, when you dance, you are likely to spend time with others who share your love of dancing and this will help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation that can lead to depression.
2) It Can Improve Your Mood And Attitude
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood. When serotonin levels are low, you may feel depressed or anxious. Dancing can help boost serotonin levels in your brain by increasing blood flow and body temperature (1).
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3) It Can Improve Your Self-Esteem
When you are dancing, you tend to focus on the way your body feels when you are in motion. This will help improve self-esteem because you will start to notice all of the things that your body can do for you rather than focusing on areas where you don’t feel attractive.
4) It Encourages Social Interaction
Dancing is a fun way to socialize and spend time with others. Dancing often involves following a series of steps that must be synchronized with the rest of the group, which can help you improve your listening skills as well as your ability to work cooperatively with others.
Socializing is good for reducing feelings of depression and loneliness. It also increases the number of positive experiences you have, which can help improve your mental health.
5) It Can Help You Feel More Energetic And Active
Dancing is a great way to increase your activity levels. Being more active can help improve mood, energy, sleep patterns, and overall well-being.
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6) It Helps To Protect Your Memory
Physical activity improves blood flow to the brain, which can help protect your memory and cognitive function. This is true for activities, such as dance, that involve physical movement but can also be applied to other types of exercise.
7) It Enables Self-Expression
Dancing can also help express what is inside of you and enable self-expression. This self-expression can be particularly helpful for people who struggle with social anxiety or public speaking because it enables them to learn about their own emotions and take the focus off of others.
Think of dancing as venting your emotions; it is a way to let go of all the things that are bothering you. This can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety or enable you to deal with emotions that may be causing you difficulties.
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Which Dance Workout Is The Best?
All types of dance are good. They involve physical movement and release endorphins. However, some types of dance are more effective than others for improving mental health because they require you to focus more on your body and its movements.
Some effective dance workouts include:
- Zumba
- Salsa
- Tribal fusion dance
- Kizomba
- Hula hoop dance
These are just examples of many types of dances that can be good for your mental health. Find one you love and start dancing! If you have problems with depression or anxiety then this type of activity may be particularly helpful to you.
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SOURCES:
- How does exercise reduce stress? Surprising answers to this question and more. (2016, harvard.edu)
- Physical Activity Reduces Stress (n.d., adaa.org)
