I’ve been feeling like a bucket of sludge. Lazy, unmotivated, and stuck. I can’t seem to get myself out of this holiday slump.
It’s not the rain. It’s not that I’m feeling particularly depressed or tired. I just can’t get moving. Like physically off the couch. Yesterday evening was no different. Five o’clock rolled around and it was time to cook dinner. Grabbed an onion and garlic from the fridge and started chopping. Spaghetti was on the menu. AGAIN. Renaissance Man has a penchant for pasta.
Halfway through slicing and dicing, I put the knife down. It was too quiet. I needed some background noise to drown the anxiety in my head. Wiping the garlic juice from my hands, I headed over to the ipod home station, scrolled down the silver screen and selected favorite dance songs.
Photo Credit: http://www.mediasongs.de
Irene Cara’s, “Flashdance” came on. That was my cue. Channeling my inner Jennifer Beals, I immediately began feeling the rhythm.
There were no leg warmers, no cut-off sweatshirt. But there was PASSION. Plenty of it. The best ten minute escape from reality I had all day. A combination of layered shimmies, saucy finger pointing and a few heel toe kicks, helped release the tension from my body. Nothing like experiencing a happy hormone rush by way of vigorous hip shakes.
Dancing isn’t just about getting your heart pumping. Dancing is about living in the moment. And living without fear. So, today friends, no matter where life has you I dare you to dance. Lift your head up, hear the music, and dance like no one is watching. Or, like someone is watching. The point is, you don’t have to worry about having all the right moves. Dancing is not something you do. It’s something you feel.
Get yourself out of bed. Throw on a pair of shoes that make you feel pretty, maybe even smack on some lipgloss, and put one foot in front of the other. Dance your way out of the dumps. It worked for me. After all, what good is a kitchen if you can’t use it for dancing.
What’s your pick-me up song? Here’s what got me out of my rut:
Been feeling blueish lately myself just might play some music to cheer me up. Thanks for sharing this
Posted by boomiebol | December 7, 2012, 6:23 amMusic helped cheer me up. It bypasses the mind and shoots right at the HEART. So uplifting. Have a lovely weekend, Boomie!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:01 amI too have been in a bit of a slump but now am going to go and get my groove on. Thanks for the fabulous idea!
Posted by wedelmom | December 7, 2012, 6:31 amI hope you really do get your groove on. Whether anyone is watching or not. Okay, maybe I’d be a bit reluctant if hubby was in the room. But still, it just feels so darn good to dance!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:03 amYour words say your moves so well…how come I can actually picture you dancing with a heal toe kick !!! ha ha
Awe… This is great. Ten minutes escape from reality is sometimes all you need. (Been there).
Posted by mistymidnite | December 7, 2012, 6:45 amPicture it . . . yes! Me doing heal toe kicks. I did quite a few in fact, spared no expense. Though I did wake up with pains in my lower back the next morning. Still, there’s NO way I’m giving up dancing in the kitchen. Have a lovely weekend, Ellie!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:13 amWe play music all of the time (and dance)…so much so that my 2 year old now knows popular songs by name…when he wants Mumford and Sons, “I Will Wait For You” he comes over and says “Wait You, Pweez.” I have to admit my house has never been “too quiet” that I needed background noise…I’m jealous!!! Good for you for kicking it up!! Love that song!!
Posted by motherhoodisanart | December 7, 2012, 7:35 amAw, I can’t believe Cesar likes Mumford and Sons! That kid has good taste. I blare that CD in the car. As for my house being quiet, my three year old was taking a late nap and my seven year was playing on the ipad. So, I definitely needed some background noise. It doesn ‘t stay quiet for TOO long though! Btw, I think there was one more comment left from your guest post. You may want to check it out. Have a great weekend, Melissa!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:17 amWhat a fun post, thank you! I have always loved to dance, and recently started taking classes at the gym. It has made a huge difference in my overall joy level and is a great workout!
Posted by helpwithyourlife | December 7, 2012, 8:03 amI dream of the day I can escape to take classes at the gym. I want try zumba and pilates. I’m sure you are totally reaping the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of exercising.
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:22 amMy hubby is the DJ at our house…literally. He has all the equipment and everything! lol I’m that girl who sings along, but makes up her own lyrics.
Hubby: That’s not what that song says.
Me: Really? Oh well, I’ve been singing it like that for years.
Thank goodness my kids seem to have inherited his musical talents. We have family dance parties on the weekends sometimes where the four of us just dance around the living room while take turns making requests for the next song. You should try it!
Posted by littlemisswordy | December 7, 2012, 8:09 amYet, another reason I can dub you my “cyber soul sister.” We have dance parties at our house too! Just the four of us. But we don’t have the equipment like your hubby does. We are thinking about buying a karaoke machine for Christmas. Sounds like another fun way to shake off the blues!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:25 amYES!!! I am a horrible dancer (my husband looks at me as if to say, “What are you doing??”), so I keep my moves to times that I can just groove on my own. One night, I wanted to work out at home but couldn’t settle on a type of program…I turned on my Pandora to something like dance/hip hop, and I just *moved* for half an hour straight. Talk about mood elevation! Wow! It is so energizing, freeing, fun, and hilarious all at once! My little ones move like Gumby…for the children of an Asian man and Caucasian woman, I’m not sure where their moves come from, but they are something else. This is part of the reason V. wants to lock A. in a tower…kidding…sort of…but yes, we love to dance together! A lot of kids’ movies that we like have fun dance-worthy music in them–Madagascar movies, even the Lorax (at the end)…the kids like those parts as much as the stories themselves! Thanks for some dance-inspiration! Way to make the most of a possibly mundane mommy moment! –Alison
Posted by amphomma | December 7, 2012, 10:17 amOh, I definitely prefer grooving on my OWN. Don’t like having an audience either. I do the same thing as you, dance for thirty minutes straight. It’s the BEST feeling when you’re done. I get so energized! As for your little one that can really shake it, I have a very limber dancer too. My seven year old daughter. And believe me, her daddy has already wondered where she gets those moves. But it’s all in good fun, right? Hope you have lots of upbeat moments this weekend, Alison! : )
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 9:25 amGreat song and my favorite scene from Flashdance! It reminds me about living in Pittsburgh (though I didn’t meet any steel worker / dancers when I was there). We’ve been having some dance parties in our house too, and it does lift your mood.
Posted by go Mama O | December 7, 2012, 2:18 pmSo, you lived in Pittsburgh. What was that like? Very cold I bet. I think it’s wonderful that you have dance parties too! My kids love when I crank up the music and invite them to boogie with me!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 9:02 amPittsburgh gets a bad rap from it’s steel town past, but it really is a smaller, nice “big” city. A lot of culture from numerous Carnegie endowments, great food, sports, and it actually was a few degrees warmer than Wisconsin (where we live now).
Posted by go Mama O | December 9, 2012, 7:46 pmMusic is always a go to for a mood lifter. Or pictures. Or both.
Posted by Chatter Master | December 7, 2012, 4:49 pmYep, music definitely pierces the heart! Pictures do as well. I just needed to get off my buns that day. Needed to sweat the holiday slump out of my body! Have a lovely weekend, Colleen.
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:29 amThanks Anka, you have a great weekend yourself. And I was dancing my self in the basement today! It does put one in a fine mood.
Posted by Chatter Master | December 8, 2012, 3:47 pmOh – I totally agree. “Walkin’ on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves is my guaranteed pick me up. You have also inspired me to introduce a bit of Flashdance into my life too…
Posted by charlotterose | December 7, 2012, 5:55 pmLOVE “Walkin’ on Sunshine” too! How could you NOT get happy listening to those words? There’s just some about the Flashdance song, “What a Feeling” that gets me moving. It’s so empowering!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 7, 2012, 6:03 pmYou rock! Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror gets me moving, not necessarily dancing. But, it gets me bouncing to a beat.
Love that song.
Posted by marriedwithtwins | December 7, 2012, 7:01 pmAny of Michael Jackson’s songs get me moving! He was the poster boy of awesome dance moves. Happy to hear that you’ve found your groove too. Have a lovely weekend, Maya!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:39 amI do the exact same thing! Music is a must for motivation, especially during that pre-dinner hour – hardest part of the day, for sure.
Posted by juliaorjulie | December 7, 2012, 9:30 pmThe pre-dinner hour is definitely the hardest part of the day. Shoot, I can probably devote an entire post to the strange nuances that precede dinner. Happy to hear that you find music motivating too, Julie!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:42 amGood advice! I’m in a heck of a holiday slump this year too; don’t know what it is. 2012 is going out with its claws out…
Posted by nothingbythebook | December 8, 2012, 5:21 amI know, there is something strange about this particular holiday season. Can’t put my finger on it. Just desperately trying to get over the FUNK. I’m looking forward to a fresh start in the new year as well.
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 9:08 amI’m having the same slump-feeling too… I often sing very loud to some tunes while cooking in the evening, but dancing: that’s much better!
Will do it. Thanks for this brilliant idea!
Posted by expatsincebirth | December 8, 2012, 5:53 amYes, try BOTH dancing and singing during dinner prep. It will lift your mood by a 100%. I promise, Ute. There’s nothing better than shaking off pent up frustration or stress. Just think when your hubby walks through the door, you’ll be like a new woman!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 9:13 amI’ll do
Posted by expatsincebirth | December 9, 2012, 2:36 amYes! I could use a good dance.. i’m going to kick off my shoes, turn the music on and boogie oogie oogie till i just can’t boogie no more! thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by icescreammama | December 8, 2012, 8:45 amYay, please do! You will feel like a brand NEW woman. Just own it like Jennifer Beals did in Flashdance. “Take the passion and make it happen!”
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 8, 2012, 8:47 amOh! I feel the same way here lately!
but you know what, I will stop “blogging” for the next 15 minutes and put some music on! 
I will give it a try, my boy might think I’m weird but it’s OK I think he used to me being weird 
thanks 
Posted by now at home mom | December 8, 2012, 12:42 pmGah! Just getting back to you know. It was a very busy weekend. But did you actually get to squeeze in some dance time? My kids think I look super silly when I dance too. That’s precisely why I ask them to join me. I wouldn’t want my babies to miss out on ALL the fun!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 9, 2012, 9:17 pmI know just how you feel! Dancing always gets me going – although I do it when nobody is watching…my DH would probably think I was taking a little nip if he saw me LOL. I even sit at my desk sometimes, turn the music on and start shaking my upper body. Gets the juices flowing!
Posted by mmadonna1 | December 8, 2012, 7:43 pmHa! Funny that your DH would think you were taking “a little nip” if he saw you dancing. Mine would probably think the same thing too. I also groove at my desk while listening to itunes. The only thing I haven’t mastered yet, is writing a post and dancing at the same time!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 9, 2012, 9:10 pmHa ha ha!!! That is exactly what I do! My husband and kids just shake their heads at me!
I groove out to anything from “Born to Be Wild”, to “Diverse City” to “God’s Not Dead”.
It might be cooking or housework that I need the music for, but it sure does the trick!
Posted by Denise Hisey | December 9, 2012, 7:53 amI love it, Denise! You keep rocking! Even if the rest of your family looks at you strangely, as do mine, you cannot forsake dancing. Music is an incredible stress reliever and outlet for FUN! Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 9, 2012, 9:19 pmI love your pages and your form of self-expression, it is a pleasure to have you share your gifts through your pages Thank you. I have nominated you for blog of the Year please visit my page Blog of the year awards and nominations Thank you! Revised
Posted on December 9, 2012
Posted by iamforchange | December 9, 2012, 11:43 amWow! I am honored. THANK YOU!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 9, 2012, 9:11 pmLove this! Can I get this song to play on repeat in my head as I spend the holidays with my inlaws?! The anxiety builds!!
Posted by home cozy | December 10, 2012, 5:50 pmIf, by chance, you can’t figure a way to repeat the lyrics over and over in your head, you could still try to capture the essence of this song. Just excuse yourself from your in-laws, go to another room and do a few head spins and high kicks. You will be a brand NEW woman! Good luck with the holidays. Hope they are filled with lots of giggles and fun!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 10, 2012, 5:56 pmI need music to get me out of that down mood, too. And I usually get my dance on in the kitchen! Your post rings true with me.
Posted by Nancy | December 11, 2012, 7:02 amThere’s something about dancing in the kitchen that feels so liberating. I think music usually takes my focus off all the onions I need to chop for dinner. Glad you stopped by, Nancy. Hope all is well with you and your family!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 5:17 pmI always dance in my kitchen! Sometimes, I put on my iPod and make dinner that way!! It’s about that time that I feel I’m going to crash and need a pick-me-up. It’s perfect.
Posted by The Bumble Files | December 11, 2012, 11:00 pmI can totally visualize you rocking out, Amy! I love dancing in my kitchen during dinner time too. Music changes the whole complexion of chopping and dicing!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 7:59 amAnd my bathroom is for singing!
Posted by rynnasaryonnah | December 15, 2012, 8:07 amI can relate. I’ve belted out a few tunes in the shower as well!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 16, 2012, 9:12 pmLove It!! I am 72 years young, but love to dance, sometimes in the kitchen, with my great-granddaughter, but also at night in my living room to some “Doo-Wop” music when it is on PBS. I dance alone, since my husband won’t dance with me, but I have a great time. It is energizing and uplifting. We were created to dance!!
Posted by Sqally Bennett | February 27, 2013, 2:21 pmWhat a legacy you’re passing down to your great granddaughter–the gift of dance! I’m sure she treasures those special moments with you. And I couldn’t agree more about being “created to dance.” It has been such a wonderful release for me through the years too. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story!
Posted by Anka | February 27, 2013, 6:54 pm