How often do worries about “what might happen” keep you from trying new things? That’s a very normal experience. Even mental health professionals have those worry roadblocks that might keep us from trying out new things. That is why my friend, a fellow therapist, and I decided to take an “Improvisation” (Improv) class. We remind our clients that they can do hard things, and so can we.
As a former “theater kid,” the idea of performing lines written by someone else didn’t seem scary to me, especially because those performances were not viewer-ready until after many rehearsals. Improv scared me because the rehearsal safety net was not going to be there. I don’t just leap into the unknown; I practice, typically multiple times! No surprises wanted.
Now, I am happy to report that I was given a surprise: I actually enjoy doing Improv! Yes, sometimes it can be scary AND it can also be fun. Not only have I grown as a person with Improv, I can sincerely say that the things I learn on stage and in class, I bring into sessions with my therapy clients.
Here are my top three lessons I’ve learned and continue to learn through Improv:
- Yes, AND is a powerful phrase because it allows you to be open to possibilities, not just on stage, but also in life. With clients, I try to stress the importance of using “and” instead of “but,” because “but” can invalidate the first half of your statement. By saying “and,” you are leaving room to validate both parts. I can be scared of the unknown AND I can still do the thing that scares me. Mental flexibility can keep you from staying stuck in the mud of fear because you are saying “how” instead of “can’t.” How you do something might not look like your original plan, AND that is okay.
- Being vulnerable is often easier said than done, because that could mean exposing yourself to the unknown. Yes, it is completely valid to want to stick with what you already know and what you feel comfortable doing. However, if you only stick with what you already know, how can you learn anything new? If a baby doesn’t learn to crawl, how can they learn to walk and move on to learn other life skills? Would you tell a toddler that they are weak for not automatically knowing how to put one foot in front of the other? That is why exposure makes new life experiences possible. You take one vulnerable step, and then another.
- Be in “doing mode” instead of staying stuck in “planning mode.” When you are on stage and your teammate does something surprising or not at all what you were planning, you have to go with what you’re given. When you allow yourself to be open and adaptable to change, you can be more mentally and physically relaxed, making it easier to adapt and do more in the future. Plans are not the enemy. They can be helpful. They just can’t be the end-all of how you show up in life.
Willingness to be vulnerable can take practice. For me, being vulnerable to stay in doing mode, and not always planning, is a lot more fun and easier when you are practicing those skills with a group of people who are being vulnerable with you. That is why at the end of every class, we share one thing that made each of us laugh. We then put our hands in the middle and shout a word that collectively reminds us what we’ve created together that day.