02/20/2026
This article in TIME magazine (the link is in bio) breaks down WHY spontaneity is important in life - more mental agility and emotional flexibility, more joy, greater connection to resources - and also HOW to tap into it. There are many great suggestions but of course my favorite is this: “Take an improv class”
“Studies in adults show that taking improv classes, another free-association activity, reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. It also boosts creativity, which is linked to well-being. Felsman’s research in Detroit schools found that kids who participated in an improv class became better at tolerating uncertainty—key to mental health—and less socially anxious.
The executive parts of the brain are important. Without their control functions, associations would loosen too much, Marron says. But free association can help ensure that top-down, executive forces don’t dominate one’s mental landscape. “The ideal is to find a balance between divergent and convergent thinking, so you can flexibly act in line with your values,” Felsman adds” -being .
