So, a little while ago, I did something that had a profound effect on my brain, my ability to think, write, and learn. It was actually the most fulfilling learning experience I've ever had. And I kind of did it by mistake.
I mean, I did it intentionally, but I didn't expect it. It wasn't for this reason. I did it for a totally different reason.
And I want to share it with you because I think the insights I've gained could transform your ability to learn. But it's going to seem a bit weird. So, stick with me while I explain.
Now this is what I did. Why? Well, there were several reasons.
The main reason was I wanted instant feedback on my writing. So, I have to write a lot for my YouTube videos and I'm not really a writer and you don't often get much useful feedback in the comments. Sometimes it can be like the sewer of YouTube.
Not always, but sometimes. You can ask relatives and friends, but then you have the other problem. they're often too nice and too biased.
And so I thought, where can I get instant feedback on whatever I write? And that's what made me think of standup. Now, I thought I'd do this once or twice and that it might help with my writing.
But it's actually been the most fulfilling intellectual and creative experience that I've ever had. And I've done a degree and post-graduate study and research, but none of those come close to the effect on my brain of doing comedy and particularly standup. To the stage, your next comedian is Charles McMullen.
[Music] [Applause] I noticed it really quickly. It felt as though it was lighting up every part of my brain, memory, verbal reasoning, and creativity. And I wanted to know why.
And first, I wondered if any research has been done on comedy and the brain. And there has. And there's a growing body of evidence of the positive effects it has on cognition.
And I've linked to some of the studies in the description. But I want to break down the process so you can take something actionable away. So here are some of the benefits that I experienced and maybe you can apply them to your own learning.
Now the first benefit was it forced me to create a daily writing habit. I needed to write original material and perform it. And a daily writing habit has been shown to have huge benefits on your brain.
Next is procrastination. It's easy to put off writing or any cognitively demanding task and do something lower effort like tidy your desk. Not that I do that very much.
But when you know you have to perform what you've written to an audience of 200 people, procrastination doesn't seem so attractive. Creativity is the next beneficiary. Writing comedy is extremely difficult and it often involves combining two or more ideas in an unusual and creative way to make a joke.
And so it trains your brain to break free from its usual constraints, to see the world slightly differently, and grow that creative faculty. And recent studies have shown this to be the case. A short course of improv can measurably boost creative thinking skills.
It's also been shown to reduce anxiety about uncertainty and failure. The next benefit draws on the Jüks Dodson law. Now, I don't know if you've heard of this.
I hadn't until recently. Essentially, it says that if we're in a low stress environment, we underperform due to boredom. Increasing stress sharpens our mental acuity to a point and then if the stress gets too high, we underperform again.
For me, standup provides just the right amount of stress to keep my brain sharp. I find it positive stress known as ustress, but that might not be the case for everyone. It sharpens my thinking and makes me better at improv and creating punchlines.
And then there's retrieval practice. By far and away the best method of learning and understanding. I use that when I'm learning the routine, and it's a good way of remembering it.
But it also gives me a deeper understanding of the themes and the material, which helps me to think of new ideas and jokes. And then there's the social aspect. Being in a room full of people enjoying themselves and laughing, it's very pleasurable.
It's good for your mental health, and I've made new friends that I would never have otherwise met. It's also given me a new skill and hobby, and it's something that I enjoy and continue to do, and I never expected that. Now, am I suggesting that you go off and do standup?
Not really. Not unless it's something you've always wanted to try and then I'd say definitely go for it. But ask yourself, is there something you can do that combines the best elements of learning all of the things I've just mentioned?
Something that's far outside your usual experience and comfort zone. There will be something. Find it and do it.
And if you can't think of anything, then find a local improv group and join that. How can you get better grades and learn faster? Scientific studies show that techniques like retrieval practice, space repetition and interle to deeper understanding and less time spent learning and ultimately to higher grades.
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