💩 Dancing Makes the Poop Manageable

Queue up Cher, and get ready to enjoy an intoxicating positivity elixir

Good Morning!

I had originally planned to post Part 2 of our discussion on Imposter Syndrome; however, I realized today is “Physical Wednesday” and I had a very cathartic physical self-care experience this morning! So, we’ll return to our regularly scheduled Imposter Syndrome post tomorrow and chat about dancing one’s ass off today.

In today’s edition…

1. Morning Microdose: Dancing Makes the Poop Manageable

2. Myth of the Day: “I’m a bad dancer.”

3. Action Item: Put up a “Do Not Disturb Sign,” queue up your favorite dance song, and get ready to dance your ass off

(1) Morning Microdose

Dancing Makes the Poop Manageable

I woke up this morning so excited to attend my very first virtual dance class at 6:30 AM. I even helped build a killer playlist for the class featuring all my favorite pop divas that could be matched only by the finest gay bars in Los Angeles.

At 6:25, I had my inner go-go boy harnessed, AirPods inserted, Zoom connected, and was ready to MOVE! And that’s when I smelled 💩… loads of it.

My separation anxiety-prone, rescue devil dog Miles had apparently NOT been ok with me going to Seattle for 4 days and had desecrated a carpeted room with very loose stools as I slept soundly in my bed.

When I saw the mess, I completely forgot about dance class as I tried to keep from losing my mind and the contents of my stomach. As class started, I instead was grabbing a plastic bag and a roll of paper towels to begin the clean-up effort, all the while giving Miles icy glares as he watched me with sleepy eyes from the couch (must have been tired from shitting all night).

But as Whitney Houston’s iconic power vocals filled my ears at 104 BPM, I simply couldn’t continue fretting. I set down the waste bag and wet paper towels, glowered at Miles one more time, closed the door to the poop room, and let my feet take me to a fantasy world of electronic percussion where poop doesn’t even exist.

Human bodies are hardwired for dance

According to Kira M. Newman, managing editor of Greater Good (a University of California, Berkeley publication),

“Dancing transports us into a state of flow where we forget about our troubles… At a deeper level, it’s a way of getting in touch with our bodies and our feelings, allowing us to ‘try on’ different emotions and see how they feel.”

Furthermore, cutting-edge research by two competitive dancers (who also happen to be neuroscientists) confirms that dancing is one of the best things we can do for our health.

“Dance is an antidote to stress, a way to combat negative emotions, an elixir for the body, mind, and brain.”

Essentially, dancing makes you happier and causes you to temporarily let go of all the shit (pun intended) you have to deal with in life.

I’m not a skilled dancer, but I don’t give any f*cks

I remember being in Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago when Mariah Carey’s timeless hip-hop crossover hit “Fantasy” filled the air of my favorite grocery store. It took all I had in me to keep my feet from launching into a seemingly injured running man; however, I soon saw that I was not the only shopper to have been lured into dance by Mariah’s siren song.

It felt like we were on the verge of a Trader Joe’s flash mob—a handful of elder millennials awkwardly gyrating between the 2-buck Chuck and Cookie Butter to that oh-so-groovy hook.

I know I’m not a skilled dancer, but I don’t give any f*cks. Dancing together—regardless of talent or ability—bonds us to one another. So much, in fact, that a 2016 study discovered that physical synchronization can affect how we feel about each other. The study found that participants who danced in sync with one another felt closer to each other compared with people who didn’t.

Of course, I think it would be more fun to be a skilled dancer, which is why I plan to keep up with my virtual dance classes, as well as add more to my roster. This is why I feel the utmost confidence in leaving you with this parting GIF—yes, it’s me—doing the greatest of non-skilled dancing to a voice that rings out loud and true at every Pride 🏳️‍🌈 parade across the land—the one, the only Cher.

(2) Myth of the Day

Dancing is a form of self-expression and can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of skill level. You may struggle with certain aspects of dancing, such as rhythm, coordination, or technique (☝️☝️☝️); however, being a "bad dancer" is a subjective label.

What one person considers "bad" may be perfectly acceptable or even impressive to someone else (if anyone is impressed by my dancing, please send a message to dailyselfnewsletter@gmail.com to receive an award of 1,000,000 appreciation points).

Furthermore, the goal of dancing is not necessarily to achieve a certain level of technical proficiency or perfection, but rather to enjoy the experience of moving to music and expressing yourself through movement.

Everyone can be a "good dancer" in their own way.

(3) Action Item

Take a 5-10 minute dance break today. Put up a “Do Not Disturb Sign” if you feel self-conscious, but make sure you queue up your absolute favorite dance song (if you need any tips, let me know), and dance your ass off wholly and completely.

How do you feel afterward? Did you forget about all the poop?

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