5 Things To Help You Be More In the Now
Improvisers inherently know that joy is in the now.
That’s where the laughs lie, and the audience reinforces that when we are on stage. It's something we train for and hope to achieve in every show, yet I still don't achieve it every time I improvise.
Staying in the moment can be hard, even for longtime improvisers like me. I cannot tell you how many times I been improvising and while I am doing scene and I am thinking about what I am going to have for dinner when the show is over.
As hard as it is to be in the moment on stage, it can be even harder in our lives. The best way to avoid the joy is to spend a lot of time thinking about the future or the past.
Our mind is muscle. It needs discipline, and you have a better chance of being able to be in the moment on stage if you practice it in your own life. It's the old cliche "art imitates life."
Students asks me all the time what they can do between classes to get better, and I think training yourself to be in the now is one of the best things you can focus on. Here are five things you can do in your own life to be more in the now.
- Practice Meditation
A mediation practice should be required for any improviser. For me, meditation is a form of listening to myself. We are trained in improv to listen to our partner, but I think it's just as important to listen to ourselves first. And the best way to do that is to quiet your mind first thing in the morning. I meditate for 20 minutes every morning, and whenever I do, it makes me better able to be present and listen to others throughout my day. - Stop Multi-Tasking
Nothing ruins being in the moment more than trying to do two or even three things at the same time. You will not be more productive when you multitask. That’s an illusion. If you are like me, you think that multitasking helps you get ahead, but really the only thing you’re doing is fucking up the now. So follow the “keep it simple, stupid” rule: Only do one thing at time, and if you notice that you’re more peaceful or calm, you are heading in the right direction. - Be On Time
If you want to be in the present, be on time. (This one is for me, so you can ignore if you are already doing it). Nothing takes me out of the moment more than showing up late to a class or show. When I show up late, I am usually feel a combination of discombobulated and shame, and I'll be honest, sometimes I never get over it throughout the entire class or show. And the crazy part is, I still do it. People don't talk about it much, but when you arrive somewhere on time, you’ll feel more relaxed, which is so important for creativity. - Be Aware
Being more aware of your own actions in your life is one of the best ways to practice being in the moment, and it starts with wanting to do thing differently. If you are finding yourself going over a resentment about your mom in your head, tell someone about it. If you can't find someone to call, just be aware that you are in the past and try to put your attention back on the present. I have a friend who says he goes back to his breath, and whenever he realizes he is in the past or the future, he takes a deep breath. I am lucky because my wife, Lauren, knows when I am talking to myself, I am not in the present, and she will call me on it. As annoying as that can be, I am grateful. - Get a Kid
Now that I am a father, I am forced to spend time with my kid, which I’ve found has been a great way of keeping me more in the moment. If you don't have a kid yourself, see if you if you hang out with friends that have kids and play with them. This is the state I believe we are trying to achieve as improvisers: living moment to moment with no judgement, no agenda and pure joy. Kids are about following the fun. Believe me, they will get bored and lose interest and you get to watch how they organically will discover something else to play with. This is what Viola Spolin might have called transformation — these kids instinctually know how to transform. If you want to see joy in the now, this is the best homework you can do for yourself.