Mental and Emotional Benefits of Dancing

Dancing for the Soul


Debbie Cook has been an avid dancer all her life. She has found dancing to be an amazing stress reliever and positive influence on her mind and emotions.

Mental and emotional health concerns are on the rise in the increasingly demanding world of work and education in the U.S. Making deadlines and struggling to increase work performance is a constant worry for people of all ages and careers.
Debbie Cook Dancing


Debbie Cook has found exercise to be one of the most common forms of care for mental health and one of the most natural ones, too. Exercise releases endorphins, making you feel happier and more relaxed while also improving your physical health as well. Some forms of exercise can relieve different stresses for different people. Dancing, for example, is not only great exercise, but the vast varieties of dance as an art offer more opportunities for stress relief than more singular exercises such as weight lifting or running.

Dance is an incredibly dynamic skill to develop in the form of self-care for mental health. There are no limits to who can dance, and the genres of dance are diverse as well. Whether you prefer a certain type of music to dance to, no music, group dancing, solo dancing, ballroom dancing, or a mix of all the different types, you can reap the benefits of this art form almost instantly. As a dancer for many years, Debbie Cook explains some of the ways she has found dancing to be beneficial in her life and the lives of her peers.

  1. Dancing can be an outlet for you to express the feelings that you do not or cannot talk about. Expressing sadness, anger, anxiety, loneliness, or any other emotion can be hard to do with words. You might feel embarrassed talking about your feelings with someone, even those close to you. Dancing gives you the opportunity to let your feelings out without worrying how someone else is going to interpret them.
  2. Dancing can replace your gym routine. Balancing work and getting to the gym is difficult, leaving very little time for entertainment and fun. Dancing is a great source of cardio and core that will leave you feeling energized and invigorated, while still breaking that sweat!
  3. Socialization is important. Whether you are looking for more opportunities to spend with your friends or your family, you can dance with anyone. There are group classes of all kinds, or even easy, at-home dance styles that you can do to spend time with your loved ones, get in a workout, and shake off the stresses on your mind.
  4. Dancing engages your brain more than just repetitive workouts. When you’re dancing and learning new moves, your brain must keep up with music, steps, and pay attention to your surroundings! Dancing is not only a physical workout, but a mental one, too! Exercising your brain is just as important as getting a workout for your body, helping eliminate all of that “can’t sleep, thinking too much” brain activity at bedtime.


Dancing and similar exercises are always great supplements to a healthy routine and a healthy mind and body. To learn more about dancing and its many benefits, be sure to connect with Debbie Cook on Google+.

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