DALAI Therapy
No, I am not suggesting an interview with his Holiness, the Dalai Lama, although if this is an actual possibility for you then by all means go for it! Instead, what I am referring to is something very different, but incredibly effective: 'Dance Around Like An Idiot' Therapy (aka DALAI Therapy). It is a self-coined anagram for what I believe to be an absolute must for anyone, anywhere, anytime, but in particular during times of stress, anxiety and depression, which are precisely the times you will probably feel like doing anything BUT dancing around like an idiot - this is all the more reason to do it!
I woke up this morning feeling that familiar sense of being overwhelmed by certain events life has decided to throw at me right now (the details of which are irrelevant to the current conversation). That feeling of having to push out air rather forcefully on my exhales because I feel like it's suffocating me somehow, like I've been holding my breath for so long that my shoulders are in their stressy permanently-raised position and have forgotten how to come back down to their factory setting. I felt completely powerless and totally out of control of situations occurring around me, which as a self-confessed control freak, is the absolute pits! In response to this feeling of powerlessness, a surge of misdirected anger and frustration started to bubble within me, and as I still possessed enough mental clarity and self-awareness, I refrained from letting it erupt onto the nearest unsuspecting (and ultimately innocent) target, because it's really not their fault - it is nobody's fault. And so it remained within, giving me the escalating urge to yell and/or punch something.
Now there's nothing wrong with doing either. I have frequently screamed into my pillow, or used it as a punching bag (those poor pillows have been through a lot), and it has been a very effective way of letting off steam. Yet somehow, regardless of any relief, it can often leave a bit of a negative aftertaste. Which brings us neatly to DALAI! If you can channel that trapped negative energy into a bout of free-dancing, you can be left feeling pleasantly tired, with a sense of having offloaded, and just generally lighter, sometimes even cautiously cheerful.
After many years of perfecting the technique (yes, I am typing this with a straight face), here are my top DALAI Therapy tips:
Pick some dance-worthy music, the cheesier the better, ideally with some form of empowering lyrics (think Ariana Grande's 'Break Free': "This is the part when I say I don't want it / I'm stronger than I've been before / This is the part when I break free...") as singing along to music is ultimately the easiest and most non-hippie-dippy way to incorporate positive affirmations into your day.
Volume UP! The idea is for the music to flood your brain so you can hear nothing else, including your own thoughts - especially your own thoughts!
Do this alone somewhere, unless of course you are blessed with the ability to truly not care what any witnesses may think.
There are no rules, just move! Allow arms to flail, legs to kick, heads to bang and hair to fly - it's all about shaking out that frustration/anxiety/anger/sadness.
Avoid doing this anywhere near a mirror, as the concept of DALAI, primarily the 'Like An Idiot' element, may be frozen in its tracks if you catch sight of yourself doing what you think are Beyonce-worthy moves, only to discover you look like a hippo having an epileptic fit (I speak for myself here, as this was the very image that came to my mind once when I was foolish enough to pass by a mirror during DALAI).
You might cry, and that's totally fine. If it comes, just let it out. If not, that's also fine.
Don't stop suddenly - that's not good for your body in general, but also you might just crash back to your current reality, so try slowing the tempo for a couple of songs before allowing yourself to flop somewhere.
Once you have flopped, bring your focus to your breathing and your heartbeat, and watch how they both slowly get back to their regular rhythms.
Congratulations, you have Danced Around Like An Idiot, you have offloaded, you have skimmed off the top layer of your cup that was in 'runneth over' mode, and are now ready to rejoin the world, a little lighter and with any luck, even a little cheerier (don't underestimate the dancing-induced endorphins!).