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“Yes,
and.” Those two words make up a rule commonly used in improvisation, an art
form in which people create scenes from scratch. In addition to being found
in many comedy theaters across the world, the craft boasts a slew of mental
health benefits by teaching principles that can be applied to the real world.
A 2020 study, published in
the journal Thinking
Skills and Creativity, found that improv can improve divergent
thinking, promote positive affect, and increase a tolerance of uncertainty in
relation to social situations.
“Improv can create the structure to be silly without real, harmful
consequences,” Qurratulain “Q” Sajid, a social worker who has taken classes
at Untold Improv in California, told NPR. “It’s a very healing thing to do.”
According to another study, this one from
2019, improv was associated with reducing social anxiety in adolescents. The
art teaches its participants to embrace themselves, champion mistakes, and
step out of their comfort zones. So if you’re in search of a new hobby,
consider giving improv a chance — even if your first audience is your bedroom
mirror.
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