5 Things To Love About Online Improv

Having taught Improv for Anxiety classes in person for so many years, I’ll admit I was a little sceptical about moving them online. Scared, even. I hated the idea. It was going to suck for sure.

But, like I’ve told my students hundreds of times, “Yes!” Be open to the idea, accept that improv is going online, and move forward. So I did. And you know what? It didn’t suck as much as I thought it would. In fact, I’ve seen some real benefits.

1) Commute time

Honestly, it’s just so much easier and quicker to get to class now. Oh, I have class in one minute? Guess I should change out of my pyjamas.

We had a student mention last class that sometimes they had to work late, and the travel time would make them late so they wouldn’t go. Now it’s pretty much switching Zoom meetings.

Also, getting to that first improv class is the scariest part for a lot of people. Now you can put off going to class till literally the last minute.

(Also works at the end of class, where any potential for awkward chit chat is thwarted by a simple “Leave Meeting.”)

2) No hygiene requirements

Listen, I’ll be honest here, I’m not showering as much as I was when things were opened up. On top of that, I’ve really been going heavy on the garlic dishes. Could be for medicinal purposes, or maybe I’ve been eating so much of it that it takes more for me to taste it. The point is, I smell. And you know, you won’t know that. Unless I use some sort of “stink lines” filter, which I still haven’t figured out how to use.

Just rolled out of bed? Welcome to class.
Just stress sweated your way through a marathon of meetings? Welcome to class.
Just got sprayed by a skunk while tarring your roof and changing your baby’s diaper? Be careful, and welcome to class.

3) Comfortable environment

Things that are new can feel scary. If you sign up for a class, you’re trying something new, with new people, but now it’s not also at a new place. You’re doing it from the comfort of your own home.

Which also means bathroom access. Don't know about you, but when I get nervous, I feel like I need to pee. And knowing the toilet is close by, and available, actually helps me need to pee less.

4) It’s international!

Not only is there no commute time, there’s no commute distance. An improv class in Toronto used to have mostly people from Toronto. Or the occasional person who drove in from Oakville. Not anymore. Our last drop-in had people from all over the States, England, Mexico, and even a couple from Australia (which is further than Oakville).

5) The laughs

My fear was that online improv would be a lesser version of in-class improv. I was focused on what would suck about it, instead of what’s great. Which is that it exists. It can happen anywhere, anytime. In a time when we could all use a laugh or two, online improv provides that.

It’s great to laugh. How could I have ever questioned that?

And now if you’ll excuse me, I could probably use a shower.

5 Expert Tips To Achieve Nothing

It’s always the same, you set out to waste the day on the couch, but your brain ends up pressuring you into doing stuff. Things to make you feel like you’re not wasting the day.

But if you follow these 5 simple steps that all successful people do, or not, practice or not, or dedicate yourself, or don’t bother at all, you too can waste the day in style.

1) Write your Goal in Present Tense.

It’s helpful to write your goal as though you’ve already achieved it. Instead of “I’d like to try and be okay with not doing much today,” try “I’m doing nothing, and I’m loving it!” (Shirt idea that I won’t follow through on.)

2) Dream Big, but Start Realistic.

You’re not going to go from successful CEO-type person to casual layabout in one day. While you might not be able to stare at the wall for an hour straight with a smile (sober) like a Buddhist monk, you could start out with 30 seconds and see how it goes.

Take baby steps, like clicking “Watch Credits,” instead of automatically rushing to achieve the next episode.

3) Hold Yourself Accountable.

If you tell your friends you’re writing a book, they’ll ask how the book is going, which should shame you into action. (I’m working on it, I swear.) The same thing can happen with doing nothing.

A simple “I’m not going to grow as a person today” post, and you’ll feel pressured to not let your friends and family down by learning a new recipe, dance, college credit. And don’t fall victim to the irony of replying to their comments. That counts as achieving something.

4) Know what Success Looks Like to You.

Close your eyes. Picture yourself waking up in bed, and not getting out of bed all day or night (bonus expert tip: keep a bucket nearby). If you’re thinking, um, that’s my day every day, here’s the difference: in this version, you don’t feel pressure to get up and start the day, or nagging thoughts that it’s wrong to stay in bed. You know the truth. It’s okay to just be.

As a famous monk once said, “Just be. Be at one with the universe. In this moment. Somewhere comfy. Like your bed.”

If you’re allowed to do nothing, then anything you do is because you want to do it, not because you have to keep your brain busy. Shower because showers are warm and nice, not because you '“should” or because it’s “hygienic” or “you’re starting to smell to the point where people on video calls can sense it.”

5) Reward Yourself. 

If you’re doing nothing, and suddenly realize you’re not calling yourself lazy, or feeling like a loser, celebrate! Give your brain the gift of a crossword puzzle, an instructional video on coding, clean the house, write another blog post about doing nothing, or whatever else your brain thinks is “productive.”

Now stop reading this and get back to just breathing like a champ.

Netflix and Chill Out: How to be unproductive, and mentally okay with it.

Right now, we all have all the time in the world to do all the things we’ve always wanted to do. Like make cooking videos, write posts about productivity, and build toilet paper forts. But with all that time comes all the pressure to do those things. We’ve run out of excuses.

in fact, there’s so much pressure to produce content/achieve greatness, that there’s a second wave of people letting us know that we don’t have to give in to the pressure. You’re enough as you are, and you don’t need to prove anything with your latest TikTok.

But pressure isn’t that simple to turn off. I appreciate the sentiment behind taking it easy, but that’s not going to stop my brain from calling me a lazy piece of shit. Or even worse, saying something mean. For many of us, we can’t just turn off that drive to improve, grow, be better — or at least think about doing those things.

So here’s a little life hack to help you take some time off, while still feeling like you’re achieving something. I present you…

How to watch Netflix and not feel like you’re a useless waste of a life

Here’s what I do:

Start watching Netflix.

Start to feel guilt, like I’m wasting my life and should be doing something productive.

Keep watching Netflix, but with a nagging voice in my head. Both battling for my attention.

The voice wins. Always.

Okay, let’s do something productive. To me, productive is working on my mental health. If I’m feeling anxious, and I do something to feel less anxious, that’s a huge achievement. A win so big, it’d earn me some Netflix time.

Am I saying do something like meditate, or read self-help books? Nope, still Netflix. ‘Cause here’s the trick:

If you wanna achieve less anxiety, achieve more joy.

Simple, I know. Angeringly simple to anyone with anxiety, but hear me out.

Every second I laugh, I don’t feel anxious. Any moment I feel joy, I’m pushing anxiety into the background, ‘cause joy has my attention right now.

But what sucks for us anxious-types is, on those rare times when we’re able to feel joy, it’s only a fleeting moment, and then anxiety comes back.

So here’s what you need to do. Be vigilant with joy. Force joy into your life. If anxiety comes back, you hit it again with laughter and joy.

And you can do it by watching something on Netflix that makes you laugh.

Then you’re doing something productive. You’re working on your mental health!

The one caveat is you have to enjoy what you’re watching. Sure, Tiger King is popular. But does it really make you feel joy and laughter?

Watch something that makes you feel good. The Good Life, Love, Queer Eye… I’ll stop telling you what to enjoy.

When your brain pipes up and says you should be doing something productive, tell your brain that by bringing joy into your life you’re feeling less anxious, and that’s a huge step towards a calmer, happier mind.

And your brain will be like, “That's all I needed to hear, let’s binge, baby!”

To all the self-help books I've loved before...

I was interviewed recently by Jason Byzantium for the Toronto Public Library’s podcast: Shelve Under. This one is shelved under “Anxiety.” It was fun to talk about the self-help books that helped me, the joy of improv, and my personal story. I mean, what else am I going to talk about?

Softball. I probably could’ve also talked about softball. Wouldn’t have been as helpful, but I don’t want people to think I’m limited to three things. It’s four.

Improv for The Marilyn Denis Show

What happens when you email your anxiety class students and ask them to be on national TV, playing silly games, in the middle of a workday, on two days’ notice? Well, if they’ve done improv, apparently they say “Yes!” “And… “ they’ll even be interviewed!

I’m always a little nervous about being on TV, but it helps to have a supportive group of friends playing silly games and laughing behind you.

The Work & The Play: Getting Dressed

I was very anxious and depressed, so I did “the work” and it helped. I also joined an improv class and starting doing “the play” and it helped, too. Together they changed my life. Here's the first in a series of ways to work/play in everyday situations.

Getting Dressed. 

Okay, maybe I’m insecure and don’t feel worthy or enough, but if I can dress cool, my hope is that you’ll compliment me and make me feel complete. 

The Work:

Dress wrong. 

Button up your shirt off by one button. Or leave your laces untied. Or wear that shirt with the mustard stain. Practice being imperfect. You’ll spend all day feeling the fear of someone saying something. But they won’t, because they don't want to embarrass you. If they do say something, you can say “How embarrassing, thank you!” and make them feel like a hero. Making others feel like a hero, that’s what heroes do.  

The Play: 

Wear fun socks.

Two different, multi-coloured socks. Wear some with cartoons, or messages on them. For an even more hidden playful side, wear wild underwear. Something to make you feel fun, and it’s just for you, and I guess, anyone that sees your underwear.

The Work & The Play: Getting Out of Bed

I was very anxious and depressed, so I did “the work” and it helped. I also joined an improv class and starting doing “the play” and it helped, too. Together they changed my life. Here are some ways to work/play in everyday situations.

Getting Out of Bed.

If I stay in bed, the day won’t start. Days are so full of potential pain and suffering, and beds are so comfy and warm. Honestly, why would anyone leave here? To pee? I’ll get a bucket. To eat? I’ll order in. To go to work? Pfffft, they’re not paying me enough. Avoidance for the win.

But if you stay in bed long enough, the thoughts will come in about how you’re late for work and you can’t just stay in bed all day and waste your life like a loser with no goals and die a failure all alone, and suddenly the bed is pain, too. Way to ruin beds, brain!

The Work:

Put your alarm out of reach.

You want a practical solution for the struggle to get up? This is it. Force yourself to get up and get that alarm. I’m not saying it’ll put you in a good mood, but you’ll be out of bed. Even just for the amount of time it takes to turn it off and collapse back into bed. Then get annoyed again when you realize you hit snooze instead of turning it off. 

The Play: 

Get up on the wrong side of bed.

When people say, “Someone got out the wrong side of the bed this morning,” they’re referring to grumpy people. But you’ll start your day less grumpy if you get up in a fun way. In fact, get out of the bottom of your bed. Wriggle under the covers until you just fall out the bottom.

Or for bonus points: just stay in bed. 'Cause beds are comfy!

The Work & The Play: Waking Up

I was very anxious and depressed, so I did “the work” and it helped. I also joined an improv class and starting doing “the play” and it helped, too. Together they changed my life. Here's the first in a series of ways to work/play in everyday situations.

Waking Up.

Some people wake up with a smile and jump out of bed laughing and throw the curtains wide open to look at their ocean view and take a deep smell of the world. Others wake up with disappointment that another day of pain and suffering has been forced upon them, already knowing what this world smells like.

The Work:

Be grateful.

Specifically find 5 things to be grateful for. Take a moment to focus on a few good things before you set to work focusing on what’s wrong, or could go wrong. They don’t need to be huge. Be grateful that you have a bed and sheets and a pillow. That’s three. Two more and you’re good to go.

The Play: 

Masturbate.

No, this isn't my answer to everything. But it is a way to have fun, and this is the last we’ll speak of it. Wake up and play. With yourself.