Your Improv Brain

You know that thing where you learn a skill in class, you can explain it to someone else, and then you get into a scene and your brain does the old thing anyway? This episode is about why that happens and what to do about it. Your brain runs on pathways, and the ones you've reinforced the most fire first under pressure. Understanding a concept intellectually doesn't change the pathway on its own, which is why a single workshop or class series on a skill often doesn't stick.The good news is those pathways can change. Neuroplasticity, my friend!Drawing on Olympian Eileen Gu's approach to neuroplasticity and metacognition, this episode breaks down how repeated, focused practice on a single skill can start to compete with your old defaults. For neurodivergent brains, this is both encouraging (your current defaults aren't necessarily permanent) and sometimes frustrating (executive function challenges can make sustained practice harder to maintain). The exercise this week is designed to give you a high volume of reps on one specific habit, with a solo modification you can adapt to conversations in your everyday life.KEY TAKEAWAYS:Your first instinct in a scene is whatever brain pathway has been reinforced the most, and those pathways can change with focused repetition.Understanding a concept intellectually and performing it automatically live in different parts of your brain, which is why knowing better doesn't always translate to doing better.Your nervous system needs to feel safe enough to let you practise new patterns honestly, because stress responses will default to the oldest, most reinforced pathway.Targeting one specific skill at a time (rather than trying to fix everything at once) gives that new pathway the best chance of forming.Solo practice and real-world conversations can both build improv-relevant pathways outside of rehearsal.CHAPTERS:00:00 Why your brain defaults to old habits under pressure01:16 How brain pathways work and why the most reinforced one fires first02:36 Eileen Gu on neuroplasticity and tinkering like a scientist03:35 Applying this to your improv practice04:05 Why understanding a concept doesn't change the pathway on its own05:51 What this means for neurodivergent brains06:36 Nervous system regulation as a prerequisite for building new defaults08:28 Exercise: Stop That Move (partner version with coach)12:31 Solo modification: recording yourself and practising in everyday conversationsRESOURCES and RELATED EPISODES:Eileen Gu's metacognition and neuroplasticity commentary (referenced across recent episodes) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-tbAaPXNeSgUCB Improv Manual: https://ucbcomedy.com/store/ucb-manual/Evidence based confidence episode: https://improvupdate.com/why-just-be-confident-doesnt-work-and-what-to-do-instead/Memory and recall episodes: https://improvupdate.com/memory-and-recall-exercise-improv-jams-57/Article for this episode: https://improvupdate.com/how-to-stop-defaulting-to-your-old-improv-habits/Video for this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rad6ubzuV98Downloadable contentDownload the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://improvupdate.com/notesGet a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"Get more downloadable booklets here: https://improvupdate.com/downloadsReview the showPlease consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.Apple Podcasts | PodchaserIt helps out! Thanks!Support the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRSupport the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2jAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. You can find her bio here.This episode was and edited and produced by StereoForest.com.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by StereoForest Podcasts.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

A look at why simple affirmations often fail for analytical brains and how concrete practice builds true confidence. The episode explains evidence-based confidence and why common improv pep talk phrases feel vague. It covers neurodivergent perspectives, how an evidence archive protects you after a rough show, and offers partner and solo exercises to record real wins.

This is a special extended (podcast-only) episode of Your Improv Brain on neurodivergent inclusion in the improv community. These episodes will focus on inclusion, nervous system regulation, and help neurodivergent improvisers understand themselves and help non-neurodivergent improvisers work better with their teammates and students.This is the first one. Hi! Think about the best improv team you've ever seen. That team where everyone seemed to know when to step in and when to hold back. That connection didn't come from scenework. It came from the offstage work of actually knowing each other. Jen talks about what it feels like, as an autistic person, to carry the belief that you're a burden in every space you enter. She names where that feeling shows up in improv (hint: it's rarely onstage), what autistic improvisers bring to a team, what's genuinely harder for us, and what teammates can do to include everyone equally. The episode ends with a team inclusion exercise called "What I Need From You" and a solo version you can try on your own.Have something to share? Add a comment here: https://improvupdate.com/how-well-do-you-actually-know-your-improv-teammates-offstage-skill-building/Or reply to the newsletter I send out with these things (any newsletter!) ImprovUpdate.com/newsletterKey TakeawaysThe burden belief often starts early in life and gets carried into every space, including improv, whether you realize it or not.For many autistic improvisers, scenes feel safe because they have structure, but unstructured social time (group chats, hangouts after shows, pre-rehearsal mingling) is where the burden feeling lives.Autistic improvisers bring different pattern recognition, a willingness to name injustice, and perspectives that make scenes richer and teams stronger.Autism is a communication difference, and non-autistic people do not have a more correct way of communicating; both are valid, and the effort to bridge that gap should come from everyone.The fastest way to confirm someone's burden belief is to only engage with them when they're useful and go silent when they need support.Chapters00:00 — The best improv team you've ever seen02:06 — This episode is about the offstage part02:31 — The video that stopped me scrolling03:35 — Who this episode is for05:18 — Where the burden belief comes from07:57 — Where this shows up in improv spaces10:17 — The evidence problem12:22 — What autistic improvisers bring to a team13:47 — Communication differences16:46 — What you can do as a teammate21:17 — Team exercise: What I Need From You22:46 — Caveats for running the exercise24:08 — Solo version26:00 — ClosingResourcesThe video I watched: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2189375501869990Downloadable contentDownload the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://improvupdate.com/notesGet a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"Get more downloadable booklets here: https://improvupdate.com/downloadsReview the showPlease consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.Apple Podcasts | PodchaserIt helps out! Thanks!Support the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRSupport the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2jAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. You can find her bio here.This episode was and edited and produced by StereoForest.com.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by StereoForest Podcasts.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

"Get out of your head" is advice that sounds reasonable until you try to follow it. When you do, you end up monitoring whether you're monitoring the scene. That's just another layer of the problem.This episode covers metacognition (thinking about your thinking) and why it matters for improv. During the 2026 Winter Olympics, freestyle skier Eileen Gu gave an interview that went viral. A reporter asked whether she thinks before she speaks. She gave a detailed breakdown of how she monitors her own thinking in real time and treats that skill as something she's built on purpose.What she described is directly relevant to what happens in your brain during a scene.There are two kinds of self-monitoring happening when you're in an improv scene. One kind keeps you present and feeds your next move. The other pulls you into evaluation mode and uses up cognitive resources without giving you anything to act on. This episode breaks down the difference and explains why, for neurodivergent improvisers, the monitoring channel can run especially loud.Exercises covered:Ground My Brain (partner exercise): practicing the act of noticing when your brain drifts and coming back to the sceneSolo observation practice: building the habit of catching yourself in evaluation mode vs. curiosity mode outside of performance pressureBrain exhaustion drill (inspired by Will Hines): letting your planning brain run out before you startReferences:E31 Get Out of Your Head: YouTube / Podcast and ArticleEileen Gu response: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-tbAaPXNeSgYouTube version of this ep: https://youtu.be/3YZ5wJ9VvicArticle for this ep: https://improvupdate.com/metacognition-and-improv-how-to-use-your-monitoring-brain-in-a-scene/Chapters: 0:00 The problem with "get out of your head"0:56 Eileen Gu and metacognition2:07 Your monitoring channel in improv4:47 Useful vs unhelpful self-monitoring6:46 Neurodivergent brains and the nervous system9:04 Exercises intro9:38 Partner exercise: Ground My Brain11:44 Solo exerciseDownloadable contentDownload the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://improvupdate.com/notesGet a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"Get more downloadable booklets here: https://improvupdate.com/downloadsReview the showPlease consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.Apple Podcasts | PodchaserIt helps out! Thanks!Support the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRSupport the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2jAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. You can find her bio here.This episode was and edited and produced by StereoForest.com.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by StereoForest Podcasts.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Your brain goes blank in the middle of a scene. Or the opposite happens: twelve ideas at once and you can't pick one, so you stand there smiling while your scene partner waits.Your Improv Brain breaks down improv concepts one at a time, for every brain type. Each episode covers a single concept, how neurodivergent brains might experience it differently, and what's happening in your nervous system when improv gets hard. Because sometimes the thing blocking your scene is physiological, and "just relax" has never been useful for us.Topics include how to start a scene, how to build a character with your voice, and how to actually listen instead of planning your next line. Every episode includes at least one exercise to practise with a scene partner, and most include a solo version for those working on their own.Whether you're autistic, ADHD, or just someone whose brain doesn't always cooperate on stage, this show is for you.New episodes drop every week. There's also a monthly bonus audio episode on inclusion, regulation, or neurodivergence.Find show details at improvupdate.com.Find the video version of these episodes at YouTube.com/@jdehaanDownloadable contentDownload the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://improvupdate.com/notesGet a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"Get more downloadable booklets here: https://improvupdate.com/downloadsReview the showPlease consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.Apple Podcasts | PodchaserIt helps out! Thanks!Support the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRSupport the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2jAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. You can find her bio here.This episode was and edited and produced by StereoForest.com.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by StereoForest Podcasts.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Emotion connects you to your scene partner, your character, and the audience. It gives a scene depth and grabs attention fast. And if you use it at the top of a scene, it can set the whole thing up in seconds.In this episode I talk about using emotion as part of your base reality. Most scenes start grounded, and that's usually what we're taught. But sometimes breaking that rule and starting at a full level 10 emotional reaction to something completely mundane creates something you remember for years. I also get into alexithymia, which affects about 10% of the population, and what it means for improvisers who have difficulty processing or labelling emotions. There are workarounds for all of this, and I've never once had an improv teacher bring it up in class.Two exercises in this one. The partner version, It's Tuesday, practises pairing a mundane statement with an extreme emotional reaction (and then flipping it). The solo version has you assigning emotions to sections of your room and launching into monologues at full intensity as you move between them.This is part of a series on the top of the scene, initiations, and base reality.Resources and downloads: https://improvupdate.comArticle for this episode: This episode is part of a four episode series available on YouTube and audio podcast. You can find an article for this episode, and links to the full series on both platforms, here.Episodes about alexithymia and a big text-based overview here: https://improvupdate.com/emotional-processing-acting-and-improv-part-one-and-two/YouTube version of this episode: https://youtu.be/rwgBDmUqHEoNewsletter: https://improvupdate.com/newsletterChapters00:00 Why emotion matters in scenes01:29 Initiations and base reality series01:35 Delayed emotional processing and alexithymia03:24 Workarounds you can use yourself03:54 Starting grounded vs. starting at a 1004:53 The chair scene I still remember05:22 Why big emotional starts are worth practising05:52 Partner exercise: It's Tuesday07:20 Flipping the exercise07:48 Solo exercise: Emotion quadrants08:50 Training without a scene partner09:20 A note on alexithymia and having each other's backs10:48 Wrap upDownloadable contentDownload the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://improvupdate.com/notesGet a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"Get more downloadable booklets here: https://improvupdate.com/downloadsReview the showPlease consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.Apple Podcasts | PodchaserIt helps out! Thanks!Support the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRSupport the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2jAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. You can find her bio here.This episode was and edited and produced by StereoForest.com.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by StereoForest Podcasts.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

They explore a simple trick to start a scene by answering “where are you?” to stop your brain from blanking. Physicality and silent actions are shown as tools to create place and buy time. Two hands-on exercises build a shared base reality: a partner silent-initiation game and a solo object-based practice. Resources for further practice are mentioned at the end.

Questions at the top of a scene are an advanced move, and if you're still building your skills, they can stall your scene before it gets going. In this episode I break down why questions are tricky at the top, what makes a good question versus a bad one in improv, and how assuming shared history with your scene partner gets things moving faster.I also talk about something that tripped me up early on: the weirdness of making assumptions about another person's character. If that feels uncomfortable to you, especially if you're someone whose brain flags assumptions as unfair, that makes sense. I get into why and how the pivot that comes from those assumptions can actually become the fun part.Two exercises in this one. A partner drill using "you look / you seem / you feel" to practise adding information without questions, and a solo version using a one-sided phone call format to train your assumed knowledge muscle.This is part of a series on the top of the scene, initiations, and base reality.Resources and downloads: https://improvupdate.comArticle for this episode: This episode is part of a four episode series available on YouTube and audio podcast. You can find an article for this episode, and links to the full series on both platforms, here.Newsletter: https://improvupdate.com/newsletterYouTube version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNl6231OS5QChapters00:00 Why questions are risky at the top of a scene00:52 When you can break the "no questions" rule01:52 Why questions are even harder at the top03:22 Assume shared knowledge instead04:22 Why assuming things might feel weird (and that's okay)06:28 Partner exercise: You look / You seem / You feel08:08 Solo exercise: One-sided phone call09:14 Wrap upDownloadable contentDownload the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://improvupdate.com/notesGet a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"Get more downloadable booklets here: https://improvupdate.com/downloadsReview the showPlease consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.Apple Podcasts | PodchaserIt helps out! Thanks!Support the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRSupport the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2jAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. You can find her bio here.This episode was and edited and produced by StereoForest.com.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by StereoForest Podcasts.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

They explain why opening scenes with exposition kills momentum. They argue for jumping into the middle of the action to create instant energy. They outline partner and solo drills that train quick identification and justification of physical choices. They describe adding constraints to make practice sharper and more playful.

Discover how to enhance your improvisational skills with your own voice! Explore key vocal components like speech rate and prosody to develop grounded characters. Jen shares five practical exercises including dubbing for coordination, escalating rants, and experimenting with whispering and shouting. Learn the interaction of voice, attitude, and posture to enrich performance. Plus, dive into singing dialogue to stretch your vocal comfort. This is a must-listen for anyone looking to take their improv to the next level!