Cultivating Mental Health Through Mindfulness in Dance

I’m often asked about anxiety, confidence, and mindset — and how to build resilience in a competitive world like Irish dance. If you’ve been part of the From Head to Toe Academy, or have followed my journey for a while, you probably know I’m passionate about mental health.

Anxiety and depression have been part of my story, and while I’ve come a long way, I often reflect on how little I understood about mental wellbeing during my competitive and professional dance years.

So, in honour of Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to share some reflections on mindfulness — especially the core attitudes outlined by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn — and how they’ve supported me both on stage and in everyday life. These are a few of my personal favourites to practice. They take time, like anything worthwhile, and I don’t always get it right — but I return to them often.

See which one resonates with you most. Start there.

Why Mindfulness?

Mindfulness isn’t about clearing your mind or sitting in stillness for hours. It’s about paying attention to the present moment, without judgment. It’s a skill that allows dancers to quiet the inner critic, connect more deeply with their bodies, and respond — rather than react — to nerves, pressure, and self-doubt.

The attitudes of mindfulness were first outlined by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). These attitudes provide a foundation for cultivating a more balanced, compassionate, and grounded mindset.

Below are a few of my personal favourites — attitudes I’ve found especially helpful both in my dance career and in everyday life.

1. Beginner’s Mind

“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.” — Zen master Shunryu Suzuki

This is also the real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.

Beginner’s mind is all about going into each experience seeing things as they are right now, not bringing in past experiences or expectations. Just seeing it all as a new, fresh opportunity.

Picture this: A dancer is backstage at Oireachtas, just moments before stepping on for her set dance. Her mind is racing, remembering a mistake she made the last time she danced on this stage. The fear of repeating it begins to take over. But here’s the thing: this moment hasn’t happened yet. What if she flipped the coin and asked, “What if I don’t make a mistake?” This is a brand-new experience — a fresh opportunity filled with possibility. She gets to decide what it becomes.

That story? It’s actually true. She let go of the past, embraced the present, and went on to win the competition. That’s the power of beginner’s mind.

In dance class, it might sound like, “I just can’t get this step.” But if we meet that moment with curiosity instead of frustration, it becomes, “I wonder what might help it click today.” Maybe it’s a cue from your teacher you hadn’t heard before, or a shift in how you hold your posture, or simply being a bit more patient with yourself.

Beginner’s mind brings childlike wonder and excitement back into the work. It helps shift us from “I already know this,” or “I’ll never get it” to “Let’s see what happens today.”

It’s also powerful in a team or class environment. Think about your first few dance classes — when you couldn’t do an over 2,3 or proper hop sevens on time. When you approach things with beginner’s mind, it not only helps your own growth, but also helps you relate more compassionately to those around you. You remember what it was like to struggle, to learn from scratch — and that makes it easier to support others, offer help without judgment, or simply cheer on someone else who's still learning.

So maybe this is already a mindset you carry. Amazing! But if not, maybe you could be just a little more open to channeling your inner five-year-old — the one who approached life with awe and curiosity, who wasn’t afraid to be seen making a mistake, and would just jump straight back up and try again.

2. Non-Judging

Our minds are constantly labeling: “That was good.” “That was terrible.” “I failed.” These automatic judgments can create emotional highs and lows that disconnect us from the present moment and add unnecessary stress.

Mindfulness invites us to notice what’s happening — without immediately assigning value to it. A challenging class doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. A result you’re unhappy with doesn’t mean you’re not a good dancer. It’s just one moment in time, not the full story of your ability or your worth.

When judgment shows up, try shifting into a more curious mindset. What might this moment be teaching me? What happens if I let go of needing to label it at all?

A curious mind asks questions and stays open. A judgmental mind jumps to conclusions. The more we can lean into curiosity, the more space we create for learning, self-compassion, and growth.

3. Compassion

Self-compassion isn’t about being soft — it’s about being supportive.

In the dance world, I still see traces of that old-school mindset: tough love, harsh corrections, and the idea that being hard on yourself somehow leads to better results. But in my personal experience — and after years of working with dancers across all levels — this approach just doesn’t seem to help in the long run. If anything, it chips away at confidence and joy.

You wouldn’t berate a teammate for having a bad day — so why do it to yourself?

Kristin Neff’s research on self-compassion outlines three powerful elements dancers can practice:
Mindfulness: Acknowledge what’s happening without exaggerating it.
Self-kindness: Speak to yourself with patience, not punishment.
Common humanity: Understand that every dancer makes mistakes and struggles — it’s part of the shared human (and dancer) experience.

When you meet challenges with compassion instead of criticism, you give yourself the space to bounce back, learn, and keep showing up with a steadier, more grounded heart.

4. Non-Striving

This one can be hard to grasp, especially in a competitive world like dance where we’re constantly working toward goals, chasing medals, placements, or approval. The idea of non-striving can sound like giving up. But it’s not about not caring — it’s about caring differently.

In our culture (and especially in dance), striving often becomes about chasing outcomes so intensely that we forget to be present with the moment. We get attached to results, and when we don’t reach them, we feel defeated or frustrated. This pulls us away from the very experience we’re working so hard to enjoy.

One way I like to frame this is by thinking in terms of product vs. process, or as we often say in the Academy: outcome vs. process. When we're striving, the focus is on the product — the end result. Non-striving invites us to bring our focus back to the process — the doing, the learning, the being.

So let me ask you: When was the last time you did something simply to be in the moment? Not to win, perfect, or prove — but just to experience it?

In class or on stage, are you fully there? Are you learning for the joy of learning? Accepting that growth includes mistakes? Or are you rushing to “arrive,” feeling like anything short of perfect isn’t good enough?

I can speak to this personally. One stand-out memory is learning Anna Livia in Riverdance — after six years in the show, it was humbling to be challenged again. But instead of embracing it, I became overly focused on the outcome. The process felt heavy, stressful, and anxiety-filled. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t enjoying it. I was striving — and it wasn’t helpful.

This is where intention and attachment come in. I first came across this breakdown through Dave Potter's work at MindfulReminders.org, and it really stuck with me. It offers such a helpful lens for thinking about goals in a more grounded, present way:

Low Intention / Low Attachment: Unclear goals, no real action — no direction, no change.
High Intention / Low Attachment: You know what you want, you do the work, but your self-worth isn’t on the line.
High Intention / High Attachment: You're all in, but you tie your identity to the result — often leading to burnout and stress.
Low Intention / High Attachment: You want it badly, but you're not doing what’s needed to get there — cue frustration.

The sweet spot? High intention, low attachment. You show up with full effort, but you let the outcome be what it will be. Ironically, this mindset often leads to better results and a better experience.

As dancers and athletes, our real job is to show up. That’s all we can control. And when we do, we increase the chances of entering flow — that state where we’re fully immersed, unattached to outcome, and simply dancing. On the rare occasions I reached this state, my performances felt calm, joyful, and free. I didn’t just do better — I felt better.

So maybe the question is: Can I hold my goals, while letting go of the outcome? Can I trust the process and be present for it?

Because the only way to shape the future is by taking care of what’s in front of you now. Joy, growth, and self-acceptance don’t just show up after you’ve “made it” — they exist in the work itself, in the in-between moments, if you let them.

Start by noticing when you're outcome-focused. Gently shift your attention back to now. Create your goals. Do the work. Let the rest unfold.

That’s the heart of non-striving.

5. Non-Attachment

We don’t have to attach ourselves to every thought or inner story that arises.

The next time you find yourself caught up in anxious thinking or spiraling about what might happen in the future, pause for a moment. Imagine that thought is a balloon in your hand. You’re gripping it tightly... but now, try letting it go. Watch it float away. That unhelpful thought? You don’t have to carry it. That image alone can be incredibly freeing.

Non-attachment allows us to live and strive while keeping our happiness, identity, and self-worth separate from the outcomes. You are not the mistake you made. You are not your worst performance. You are not your last result.

When we attach our sense of self to our dancing — to a score, to a comment, to how one class went — we start to question whether we’re good enough at all. But when we loosen that grip, we can ask better questions: How can I learn from this? What small step can I take forward? A non-attached mindset knows that a setback isn’t a definition — it’s a moment in a process that you have the power to shape.

Even a rough class or a disappointing feis doesn’t define who you are. It’s just a moment — not your identity.

In life, it’s powerful to view our work, achievements, and roles not as who we are, but as what we do. You can be proud, committed, and passionate — without tying your worth to any one result.

I make mistakes. A lot. We all struggle with certain tasks. But that’s never the real problem — it’s our response to the mistake and the meaning we attach to it that creates most of the stress. When we cling to it, we stay stuck in the problem. When we release the attachment, we shift into the solution.

One practical way to cultivate non-attachment is through what I call “sometimes” thinking. You know you’re caught in ego when you find yourself saying things like:

“I am not good enough.”
“I can’t do this.”
“I always mess this up.”

Try this instead:
“Sometimes I struggle with this — and that’s okay.”
“Sometimes I make mistakes — and that’s okay.”
“Sometimes I feel nervous before I dance — and that’s okay.”

Adding those words — sometimes, and that’s okay — reminds you that whatever you’re feeling isn’t permanent, and it doesn’t define who you are. It makes the thought less all-encompassing. You are not your struggle, your nerves, or your mistakes — you’re a whole person beyond that. And when you remember that, it creates space to try again, to grow, and to keep going.

So practice this: embrace, accept, and gently detach. You’re allowed to care deeply and still know that who you are is bigger than how you perform.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be perfect — why strive for something that doesn’t even exist? You’re a dancer, yes — but first and foremost, you’re a human being.

What matters is how you show up — with awareness, kindness, and a willingness to keep learning.

Mental health isn’t just something we talk about on hard days. It’s something we practice. And mindfulness — in all its small, daily moments — can help us feel steadier, stronger, and more present, both in dance and in life.

Progress doesn’t always look like big leaps. Sometimes it looks like pausing, noticing, and choosing a different response. That’s growth too.

Thanks for reading — I hope it meets you where you are, and gives you something helpful to carry with you.

With love,
Chloey