How to Dance to Relieve Stress

Whether your stress is the result of pressure at school, work or home, you need a release to let it go and relax before its negative effects impact your health. With its freedom of movement and sense of abandon, dance is the perfect candidate for a little relief.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Change into comfortable clothes that won't restrict you as you dance. Try workout gear, shorts and a t-shirt or even your pajamas. Remove bulky accessories (like necklaces or heaving earrings) that might fly off or swing and hit you.

2. Put on a compact disc or tune into a radio station featuring music that inspires you to move. Choose up-tempo songs to release frustrations and pent-up anger or mellow melodies to put you in a relaxed, reflective mood. If you know the words and can sing along, even better.

3. Clear a large area in your home to give yourself room to dance. Move furniture, lift the rugs and relocate breakable objects so you can kick up your feet and flail your arms if the mood strikes.

4. Dance with a sense of abandon. No one is watching, so forget self-consciousness as you get lost in the beat. Put on a ridiculous song and invent a funky dance or perform an established one like the "Chicken Dance." Laughter is also a great stress reducer.

5. Set aside time in your schedule to dance each day. In addition to relieving your stress, the aerobic activity can become a regular exercise routine to help you get in shape and even lose weight.