where values take the stage: the heart of improvisation

TL;DR

• Improv as a Tool for Personal Growth: The author shares how improvisation, often seen as comedic entertainment, helped them manage social anxiety and build confidence, especially as an introvert. Improv became a practice of mindfulness, presence, and connection, not just performance.
  
• Core Improv Principles: The piece highlights four key improv guidelines—mindful listening, affirming with “Yes, and…”, building trust and support, and making playful assumptions with curiosity. These principles foster emotional safety and creativity in communication.
  
• Improv in Professional and Healthcare Settings: Improv techniques like “Yes, and…” and the “Time Traveler” exercise are applied in healthcare to enhance communication, empathy, and patient education, demonstrating that improv has real-world impact beyond the stage.
  
• Improv as a Lifelong Practice: Improv is framed as an ongoing journey of self-discovery and interpersonal growth. It encourages stepping outside comfort zones, embracing imperfection, and using curiosity and creativity to connect meaningfully with others.
  
  

Setting the Stage

Have you ever read one of those “choose your own adventure” books?

You make choices as you read, flipping to different pages to see how your decisions shape the story. This idea of making choices is what improv is all about: choosing how you show up, how you respond to what’s happening around you, and ultimately, how you connect. That’s our agency—our personal power.

For me, social situations often trigger my natural instinct to stay quiet. I observe everything, reflect, and find comfort in silence. Writing becomes my outlet, helping me make sense of my thoughts.  But over time, I’ve realized that mindful speaking and listening—especially when rooted in intention and love—can be a powerful bridge for deeper connection. 

Growing up as an introvert, I often struggled to find the right words to express myself. I’d stay quiet, afraid I might say the wrong thing. The silence felt safe but it also led to feelings of isolation and being misunderstood. This would create distance between myself and another. Inside, my ego’s loud volume would blare in my ears, making it hard to concentrate on anything beyond my own self-doubt.

Things started to change when I took a social-emotional arts theatre class. To my surprise, improv became a tool to help alleviate social anxiety—something I had never expected. I always thought improv was just for quick-witted comedians, like Wayne Brady in Whose Line Is It Anyway?, where the next line looks like it comes to him so naturally. Then, I saw other professionals from all walks of life—teachers, writers, registered nurses, doctors, etc.—show up to try these practices. What we learned was that improvement wasn’t just about making an audience laugh. It was about trust and values coming to life through performance. 

Many improv books like Clay Drinko’s “Play your way Sane” contain easy, accessible exercises that can help manage stress in social settings by helping you connect more to the environment around you. I have found it enjoyable to get into the playful, spontaneous mindset by “rolling the dice” with a random number generator and focusing on a different chapter from the book. 

These next few guidelines act as a compass for me. They help me approach improv—and life—with intention, comfort, and courage.

guideline #1: Listen…as Attentively and Mindfully as Possible

Our minds are always racing. They wander into the past and jump to the future. But when we make the choice to quiet those thoughts and pay attention to what’s happening right in front of us, we are practicing mindful presence. Active listening helps us engage in the moment, and it is the first step in improv.

The Japanese word aizuchi means “mutual hammering,” like two blacksmiths striking metal in rhythm. That’s what a good conversation feels like: a back and forth exchange, where both parties are actively present and trying to comprehend what the other person is trying to say. They show their attention through words of agreement, like “hai” (yes) and “sou sou sou sou” (yes that’s right), which brings us to the next guideline.

Guideline #2: Affirm and Add via “Yes, And…”

A core improv principle is the phrase “Yes, And…” 

It means accepting what someone else says (“Yes”) and then building on it with our own contributions (“And”). By doing this, we keep the conversation flowing and move the action forward in a collaborative, creative way. 

Instead of getting stuck in your own thoughts, you focus your energy on affirming the other person’s words. You accept them for who they are. This can create a safe space for mutual exploration. 

Guideline #3: Support and Trust

Improv does not work without trust. You must trust your scene partners to bring their best, and you must trust yourself—to listen deeply, support others, and contribute ideas when necessary. In the book “Ego is the Enemy,” Ryan Holiday describes how sometimes, the very thing that is holding us back can be our own ego. When we learn to let go of mental limitations, like self-doubt and fear, we can allow ourselves to embrace spontaneity. 

For example, let’s say you’re nervous and uncertain about an upcoming work meeting. Rather than clinging to a fixed outcome, improv can help you embrace the uncertainty. That can prevent the disappointment that comes when you are too attached to the outcome. Letting go can help you flow like water, navigating unexpected terrain with a sense of ease and calm. That’s how flexibility of the mind is built.

Guideline #4: Assume (with Light Curiosity)

When it comes to assumptions, improv teaches us to approach them with light curiosity. Instead of immediately doubting or questioning, assume something with an open mind and a kind tone. This doesn’t mean jumping to conclusions, but rather allowing curiosity to guide the way. By assuming with curiosity, we can spark deeper conversations and create new possibilities.

For example, if someone says, “My cat loves to meow at chihuahuas,” you might respond, “I wonder if she had a chihuahua best friend in a past life.” It’s a playful way to keep the conversation going and allow both of you to partake in the fun.

Off We Go to the Yellow Brick Road: The Starting Point

Whenever I think about improv and courage in motion, I remember the lion in The Wizard of Oz. At first, the lion felt scared of everything that came his way. He labeled himself a coward. He believed he could only find bravery after meeting the Wizard. He put his hope on something outside of himself.  

In reality, his courage truly shined when he started to move past his fears and protect Dorothy and his friends from danger—just by showing up.

This mirrors the kind of courage it takes to begin improv. It’s a choice to step outside your comfort zone and into something unfamiliar. You take a risk by choosing courage over the safety  of pre-planned expectations. In doing so, you begin to build your inner strength.

I remember a time I had to lead a group discussion. I felt overwhelmed with nerves—my throat tightened and my voice lowered. My teacher then reminded me, “Project your voice. Make sure you’re heard.”

Later, I read about a great warm-up practice you can do before social interactions. First, choose a book passage with character interactions. Then, read it three times—each time as a different character in a different mood. For example: read it once like Eeyore (sad), then Piglet (high-pitched, squeaky), and then Tigger (joyful). This is an opportunity to try on different expressions and discover which voices resonate with you.

Once you get warmed up, initiate the scene. If you are the lead, allow yourself to be inspired by what first comes to mind. One way to start is through word association— a back-and-forth string of words, where each person builds off the last.. For example: one person says “water,” the next says “element,” then “earth,” and then “planet,” and so on. This trains the mind to build on what was last said. You don’t have time to dwell—you just respond. It keeps you alert, engaged and responsive.

Improv is like painting a picture together. And when it’s complete, both parties can step back and appreciate the shared experience. It is a safe space because the guidelines are in place to support and protect everyone involved. 

Bob Ross said it best: “Let’s make happy little trees together,” and “We don’t make mistakes—we have happy accidents.” 

One of the gifts of improv is: you stay present in the moment, you keep going. It’s a practice of motion. You do not have time to ruminate on mistakes—you’re too busy having fun and tapping into your inner creativity. 

And that’s how you meet your inner wizard—not by waiting for permission, but by starting and moving, like a motion picture with a story to tell.

Improv in Healthcare Settings, aka “Medical Improv”

The same principles that help us thrive in an improv scene—presence, active listening, and collaboration—can also transform how we show up in professional settings. As a nurse, I’ve seen firsthand how these tools can strengthen communication and connection in healthcare. Here are a few exercises that have helped me build stronger, more supportive relationships with my patients.

“Yes, And” vs. “Yes, But”: 

This exercise taught me to accept and validate someone’s feelings before moving the conversation forward. For example, when a patient expresses fear of needles, instead of dismissing their concerns, I acknowledge and validate their feelings first. I explain the benefits of the injection then gently guide them step by step through the experience. Sometimes I have the patient breathe along with me while I administer the medication. This moment of shared experience can reduce anxiety for both parties.

Time Traveler (aka ‘Rip Van Winkle’): Simplifying Complex Information

This exercise involves one person pretending to be from the past while the other tries to explain a specific modern device or concept. For example, someone from today explains a microwave to someone from the early 1900s. The person from the past repeats back and inquires more, using metaphors and analogies, until both have a general understanding. The roles and topics can switch so each individual can take turns learning new perspectives as student vs teacher.

I remember teaching a newly diagnosed patient how to check her blood sugar and self-administer insulin before discharge. Education is a huge part of healthcare. The “Time Traveler” exercise helps providers practice simplifying complex information into digestible, meaningful terms. This helps support the patient’s autonomy beyond the hospital setting. 

To be Continued…

The curtain falls, the play ends, the credits roll. 

But when a story truly moves you, it doesn’t stop there. You dive deeper—exploring, reflecting, and connecting. That is how I feel about improv. Every scene may end, but the learning and inspiration continues.

This piece is my love letter to the art of improv. Practicing improvisation has positively impacted my work, my relationships, and how I view life’s many mysteries. Even now, I still use a random number generator to pick an exercise from an improv book and dive right back in. 

Improv, grounded in presence and connection, continues to teach me every day. I feel like a curious cat, playfully chasing threads of yarn, always discovering something new.

Something to Consider:

What value speaks to you? What practice excites you enough to dedicate time and energy to it?

We each have the power to choose how we show up. We may not get it perfect every time—but that’s not the point. The point is to keep going and growing. Conversations don’t need to be flawless. They need to be real. They need to connect. When we face fear with grace, we build trust in ourselves and strengthen our relationships with others.

Attention is one of the greatest gifts we can give. It builds bridges, improves the quality of our conversations, and invites connection. Personality tests may tell us whether we are more introverted or extroverted, but that does not mean we are forever trapped by those labels. We evolve through stepping out of our comfort zones. There is potential for inspiration and insight with everything heard and said.

And when we feel safe enough to speak our truth, our values can take center stage.