I have been taking an improv comedy class every week since March. 

Every Tuesday I am forced to get out of the house for two hours and work with other people in a creative way. 

Improv requires the players on stage to work together to construct comedy in realtime. Everyone needs to be on the same page in order to pull a good scene off. 

It has forced me to become a better listener not only on the stage but in life. I've learned to listen for any and all information that might help me form a better understanding of the character I'm talking to. 

When I'm firing on all cylinders during a scene everything falls away except the characters on stage. I'm present as my character, taking in information and reacting spontaneously. When I say something and have no idea afterward where it even came from that is how I know I'm in the moment. 

Improv is an intense and creative mental exercise that helps me in my work. It is full of memory and pattern games that train my brain to make connections faster and faster. 

If you're a developer or work from home I recommend getting out of your comfort zone and doing something like improv that gets you into the moment. 

Be silly.