A few weeks ago, my dad went in for an operation. It was the third since he had a freak accident in January, so it has been a stressful time for my mom but also for the whole family.
After I popped in at the hospital, I drove to my parents’ home & on my way there Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough started playing on the radio.
So, when I pulled in & parked in the drive-way I just wanted to dance! I knew my sister’s kids were around, so I called them & turned up the volume. They are always keen to have a 5-minute dance party with me, so they ran outside & we started strutting our stuff in the driveway! Crazy, I know. But such fun.
I actually do this fairly often. I play a fun song & then have a mini dance party. It is often with my two nieces (they rock!) or I try to get Oli to dance along. When my brother is around, things can get out of hand quickly. Fun fun fun. The little dance party can take different shapes: sometimes we do the same moves (one of us takes the lead at a time) or each will do a unique dance.
The truth is that a five minute dance party can be a real stress reliever. On the day of our impromptu driveway dancing, I realised that it was a necessary mini debrief, comedy & recharge session for us all.
I guess what I’m saying is: when you feel a bit down or stressed, play a fun tune & have a quick dance around. It is guaranteed to make you feel better – even if it’s just because you are embarrassing yourself a bit.
Stuck for ideas of songs to dance to? Here are some – but certainly not all – of my favourites: Can’t stop the feeling (Justin Timberlake), Blame it on the boogie (The Jacksons), Don’t stop me now or Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen), Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars), Sugar (Maroon 5), Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (Michael Jackson), Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepson), Jika (Mi Casa), Blurred Lines (Robin Thicke featuring Pharrell Williams), Happy (Pharrell Williams), Timber (Pitbull featuring Ke$ha) or Single Ladies (Beyonce).
How about you? Do you dance on your own? Or do you have little impromptu dance parties with your kids, nieces or friends? I have realised again that having a five minute dance party & doing it like nobody’s watching is really awesome. And necessary.
Yolandi ♥
Image by Amanda Kopp via Cup of Jo.
Ps. 35 Lessons leartn in 35 years.