In a world which is seemingly becoming increasingly stressful, it’s more important than ever for us to be kind to ourselves and prioritize our mental health.

Mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression are sadly far too common in this day and age, and if not addressed, they can take our lives and even destroy lives. Of course, as anybody who has ever suffered with poor mental health will tell you, improving your mental health is much easier said than done. The good news is that it can be done.

Medical treatments such as therapy, counselling, and even medications, are all proven treatments for people affected by poor mental health, but there is also so much more that can be done. Lifestyle changes such as cutting out unhealthy habits, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly also provide significant improvements when it comes to our mental health.

Speaking of exercise, there’s one activity in particular, that is proving incredibly effective when it comes to our mental health, and it’s this activity we’ll be focusing on today – dancing!

Here’s a look at the mental health benefits of dancing and how it can help to reduce anxiety and depression.

The Importance of Prioritizing Our Mental Health

In modern society, it feels as if it’s becoming increasingly difficult to look after ourselves mentally. If people want to improve their physical health, they’ll do things like losing excess body fat, eating more nutritious foods, cutting out unhealthy habits, and doing more physical exercise. These can indeed improve physical health, but not necessarily our mental health.

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) it is estimated that more than 1 billion people in our world today are living with a mental health condition in some form or another. To put that into context, that’s around 1 in every 8 people. Furthermore, roughly 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. This simply has to change.

Stress, anxiety, and depression are by far, three of the most common conditions affecting people mentally all over the globe. These conditions affect every aspect of our lives and in some instances, can tragically result in people feeling as if they have no alternative than to take their own lives. They can also lead to a wide range of other health issues, some of which can be very serious.

While mental health issues can be treated in multiple ways, exercise and lifestyle changes have been found to be very effective. Dancing is a prime example of this.

The Mental Health Benefits of Dancing

Whether it’s ballet, salsa, street dancing, ballroom, or any of the many other forms of dance, studies have found a direct link between a noticeable improvement in people’s mental health after dancing regularly for a prolonged period of time.

Here are several of the main mental health benefits associated with dancing.

Dancing Improves Your Mood

Dancing is a form of exercise and physical activity that has been proven to significantly improve your mood.

Studies have shown that physical activity can help to increase the production and secretion of feel-good hormones in the body known as ‘endorphins.’ Endorphins are also known as ‘happy chemicals’ because they work on the brain and help to lift our mood, make us more relaxed, and generally feel much happier.

Endorphins don’t just improve your mood, they can also help to reduce the symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

Whether it’s a fast-paced street style dance, or a slower paced, sensual dance such as Tango or even the cha-cha, will help to lift your spirits, get those endorphins flowing, and make you feel much happier and far more content in life.

Dancing Features Many Social Aspects

Another reason why dancing has been shown to provide such a significant improvement in our mental health is down to the social side of things.

Dancing by its very nature is a social activity. Most of the more popular dance styles, especially ballroom, require you to dance with a partner. Then of course, there are dance classes that can consist of dozens of participants at once.

If you’re feeling bored, lonely, or just want to get out of the house and socialize more, joining a dance school, or taking dance classes is a great way to meet new people, learn a new activity, and broaden your horizons. In fact, according to one study conducted at the prestigious University of Oxford, when people dance in sync and in rhythm with others, it helps to increase their feelings of social bonding, which in turn helps bring participants closer together.

Dancing is Liberating

Another fantastic reason why dancing has been found to be so effective at reducing stress and anxiety is down to the fact that it is liberating.

Far too many people in the world today, feel as if they have to be watered down versions of themselves, and as if they have to hide who they truly are. They’re unable to be authentic versions of themselves, and this in turn is leading to deep-rooted psychological issues that are plaguing their mental health.

With dance, as it is so liberating and invigorating, people can be true to themselves. Many forms of dance allow people to express themselves the way they truly wish to express themselves through the medium of dance. There is no right or wrong way to dance, they just let the music take control and follow the beat. By following no rules, dancing how they want to dance, without fear of prejudice or judgement, dancers feel liberated, welcomed, and can finally be the true version of themselves.

Dancing Reduces Stress and Promotes Sleep

As well as helping to lift your mood, dancing can also help to noticeably reduce stress levels. Not only does dancing help to promote the release of endorphins which make us feel happier, but it also helps to suppress cortisol production.

Cortisol is a stress hormone that can elevate the heart rate, make us feel stressed, make us feel anxious, and prevent us from sleeping and being able to properly relaxed. It is essentially our ‘fight or flight hormone’ which means that we’re constantly alert and on edge when cortisol levels are elevated.

Dancing helps to suppress cortisol production, so we feel far less stressed and anxious. This in turn helps us to relax more. Add to this, the fact that dancing helps promote the production of endorphins, along with serotonin and melatonin, which promote sleep, rest, and relaxation, and it’s easy to understand why dancing is being hailed as one of the most effective stress-busters of the modern era.