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I took my first improv class when I moved to Chicago five years ago. I didn’t know many people in the city, so I thought it might be a fun way to make new friends and reconnect with my high school theater days. It wasn’t easy at first. I felt really vulnerable being asked to be silly with a room full of strangers. Over time, though, I not only started to have fun, but I started feeling an increased sense of well-being and happiness in my life on and off stage. These days, performing and teaching improv plays a vital creative and therapeutic role in my life.

Social anxiety is typically related to several issues, including how we related in our family of origin and what our family taught us about feelings; what we learned about relationships from our childhood and adolescent friendships; how we communicate both verbally and nonverbally; how we read other people’s verbal and non-verbal cues; and especially how we avoid or deal with conflict. Another way we may increasingly become socially uncomfortable is by using alcohol or other drugs in social settings so that we can lose some of our ability to comfortably socialize without alcohol or drugs.

It’s that time of year where we take stock and plan for the future. You may want to focus time on budgeting this year. As a CPA and mother of 3, I have some great tips to start the process and get you thinking.