Have you ever danced with the Dev by the pale moonlight? Well, I have and it’s silly, unexpected fun (you should not have because he’s my son).

About a month ago we started to have our stress-relieving dance parties. We always have one on the weekend, although during the week the urge to party can be overwhelming and we give in. What I find is that even four year olds have stressful days. “____ is not my friend because he doesn’t like to share,” my boy will sometimes say. That can be a distressing event in a little guy’s world. So to combat stress we turn on a CD, usually something from the 80s, and dance. Be clear: we can’t dance. It’s the one stereotype I wish we could live up to. We’re like three simultaneous train wrecks. It can get hectic because Dev always wants to battle and even when I’m clearly victorious he claims victory. He plays the cute card and wins. Me, I gave up on being cute in, well, the 80s.

The best part of this stress relieving method is that it’s portable. When you’re at the supermarket and you wish you were home watching basketball, dance. When you’re on the subway and some guy keeps coughing on you, turn up your mp3 player and dance. When you’re at work and you think you are going to burst, close the door to your office, or duck into the bathroom, and dance. Don’t dance for an hour – thirty seconds is fine. Don’t do the running man – a simple two step is fine. The key is having a favorite song handy and taking deep breaths during and after, then getting back to the task at hand, whether it’s your commute or meeting a deadline.

You may think I’m crazy but the next time you see your UPS guy dancing in the back of his truck just remember this post. And if you get caught boogieing, just tell your audience that the Dev made you do it.

How do you relieve stress?