Why Improv for Mental & Emotional Health?

In an era plagued by increasing screen time and less face time, meeting and connecting with people is more important than ever. Human beings crave a community and genuine human connections, but fear and anxiety can keep us from stepping out of our comfort zone and instead keep us tied to the comfort of home or the screen. This is where improvisational comedy comes in.

The power of laughter to transform our brain chemistry has been proven again and again in years of scientific studies. Researchers and clinical psychologists are now discovering the therapeutic benefits in the learning process of improvisational comedy. Improv affects a range of human emotions and life skills and promotes emotional and mental health. Mindfulness, communication skills, social skills, emotional regulation, self-awareness, and interpersonal connections are just a few of the many gains embedded in the process of learning improv.

As the benefits of improv on the brain continue to emerge, mental health professionals and improv theaters all over the world have created therapeutic programs. And the results are clear- improv is good for your emotional health, mental health, personal relationships, and your life!

Here is just some of the research and press dedicated to improvisational comedy: