Remote Wellness Blog—SA Student-run
Before you judge me, let me just say this: I never set out to turn my bedroom into a therapy room with a dance floor. It kind of… just happened. One moment I was curled up, feeling like life was chewing me up, and the next, Beyoncé was on full blast, I was half-dressed, and I found myself moonwalking with a mop. And honestly? I think that moment was the beginning of my healing.
The Weight I Was Carrying (Besides My Laundry Basket)
Life had been a lot. Mentally. Emotionally. Financially. I was constantly running on low energy and even lower self-esteem. I did not feel sexy, or confident, or in control. I was trying to survive deadlines, a tight student budget, and the kind of stress that makes your eye twitch involuntarily in lectures. Some nights, I would just lie in bed, scrolling through social media, comparing myself to people who seemed to have it all; the body, the confidence, the cute activewear sets I could not even afford.
Then one day, something just snapped. I was home alone, feeling emotionally heavy and physically stiff from all the stress. So I put on music, just to feel something. And when that bass dropped? So did my inhibitions.
Healing Started with One Silly Shuffle
There I was, in my underwear, socks mismatched, moving like I was on “Dancing With the Struggles.” I danced like nobody was watching because, well, no one was. I shook my sadness out with every awkward shimmy and cringy twerk. I was not graceful nor choreographed, but I was free. After that first impromptu dance session, I realized something: I had let joy in. Even if it was just for a song or two.
The Surprising Benefits of Bedroom Boogies
Turns out, dancing in your underwear does more than just make you giggle at your own reflection:
1. It Boosted My Mood Instantly
Music and movement are scientifically proven to release endorphins. Even 10 minutes of grooving around like a background dancer at a wedding gave me more energy than a cup of coffee.
2. It Helped Me Reconnect with My Body
I used to only think about my body in terms of what it lacked: no abs, not toned, not “perfect.” Dancing reminded me that my body is capable. It’s expressive. It’s mine.
3. It Helped Me Let Go of Shame
Doing something silly, unapologetically, taught me to stop caring so much about how I looked and focus more on how I felt.
What Dancing Gave Me That Therapy (Almost) Did Not
This is not to say dancing replaced therapy (if you can access it, please do!). Dancing gave me a release, a quick, no-cost, deeply personal way to process emotion when I did not have access to formal help.
Some days I danced while laughing. Some days I danced while crying. Either way, I was moving my pain instead of letting it stay stuck. And that, my friend, is healing.
Get Silly, Get Free
You do not need fancy dance moves or even rhythm (I have got the videos to prove it). All you need is a little space, a favourite playlist, and the willingness to look like a backup dancer for a music video that only exists in your head. Whether you are in boxers, leggings, or your oldest pair of pyjamas, just dance. Dance when you are happy, when you are sad, and when you feel like a potato but want to remember you are still alive.
Sometimes, healing is not in the big milestones. Sometimes, it is in the silly, joyful, body-moving, no-one’s-watching kind of moments that remind us we still have light inside. So go ahead. Hit play. Get up. And shake the stress off, even if it is just for one song. You might just dance your way into feeling whole again.
