Mental Wellbeing for Dancers
Our overall mental wellbeing influences and impacts all facets of our lives. Having good mental health is associated with increased learning, creativity and productivity as well as better relationships with friends and peers.
Dance can be both beneficial and sometimes a hindrance for mental health. Dance can be a great way to let off steam and be creative in a fun way with friends, but can also trigger moments of self criticism due to the high standards that are often set and expected from dancers.
Taking the time to be mindful of how you are mentally and emotionally feeling will result in better physical performance in class and onstage. Some great ways to keep your mental health balanced can be:
- Talk kindly to yourself- listen to your internal dialogue and ensure it is not being overly critical.
- Build resilience- resilience is how well you can bounce back from challenges. Having resilience allows you to face difficult situations and maintain good mental health. Strategies for lowering stress and building resilience can be journaling, relaxing, self care or gentle movement like walks.
- Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to be present in the moment and become more aware of our thoughts in each moment without judgement. This allows us to be more aware of negative thoughts before they begin to spiral out of control.
If you feel like you need some extra support there are a number of great resources to reach out to such as:
Dance Factor is a Wollongong-based dance studio, offering classes in all styles for all ages and abilities. If you are interested in enrolling or trialling a class or have any general enquiries contact info@dancefactor.com.au.
Information sourced from:
https://www.energetiksblog.com.au/blog/2021/3/15/mental-wellbeing-for-dancers
https://dancemagazine.com.au/2016/02/dance-and-mental-health/