John Mulaney, Comedian Turned Broadway Star
Comedian and writer John Mulaney discusses how he adopted a daily meditation practice after a period of intense stress and professional failure. He shares how meditation helped him manage anxiety and anger, emphasizing its cumulative, long-term benefits and practical integration into his busy life.
Deep Dive Analysis
10 Topic Outline
Introduction to John Mulaney and his meditation journey
The stress of the 'Mulaney' sitcom and initial meditation attempts
Early impact of meditation on anger and emotional regulation
The cancellation of 'Mulaney' and subsequent anxiety
Re-committing to meditation to manage panic and stage fright
Current daily meditation practice and environment
The social perception of meditation and personal discretion
Origin and development of 'Oh, Hello' characters
From sketch comedy to Broadway success with 'Oh, Hello'
Future plans for John Mulaney and 'Oh, Hello'
3 Key Concepts
False Dichotomy (Work vs. Introspection)
The idea that one must choose between living an urban, ambitious life and being introspective or spiritual is a false choice. It's possible to hustle and work hard while also engaging in practices like meditation.
Expectation as a Hindrance (in Meditation)
Expecting meditation to produce a specific outcome, such as feeling blissed out or zenned out, can actually get in the way of its true benefits. The purpose is to clearly observe whatever is happening, rather than to force a particular feeling.
Cumulative Effect of Meditation
While meditation might offer immediate calming effects in some instances, its deeper and more lasting benefits, such as equipping an individual to better handle life's challenges, develop over time with consistent, long-term practice.
7 Questions Answered
John Mulaney started meditating after reading Dan Harris's book, '10% Happier,' during a three-month hiatus from filming his Fox show, 'Mulaney,' when he was experiencing peak stress.
After a few days of meditating, he noticed he could process a stressful email regarding an episode edit without his usual anger spike, and was able to separate the good experience of shooting from the difficult editing process.
After his show was cancelled and he went on tour, he experienced overwhelming anxiety and panic, especially before shows, which led him to commit to daily meditation again in Sacramento.
He meditates for 20 minutes daily, often in a dark, empty dressing room at the Lyceum Theater close to showtime, embracing the ambient sounds of the environment as part of his practice.
They both admit to a lingering perception that such practices might be seen as 'weird' or 'hippie-like,' or that discussing them might make them feel like a 'complete monster or a whole person' who openly embraces self-care.
They were inspired by two older men they observed at the Strand bookstore, each buying a hardcover copy of Alan Alda's autobiography, who looked like platonic friends but were selfish enough not to share a book.
The 'Too Much Tuna' prank show segment on the 'Kroll Show' provided a memorable 'hook' that resonated with a broader audience, including younger demographics, making the characters more widely understood.
16 Actionable Insights
1. Start Meditating for Emotional Tumult
Begin a meditation practice when experiencing significant emotional distress or tumult, as it can help process difficult experiences and manage emotional responses.
2. Meditate for Anger Management
Use meditation to prevent uncontrolled anger outbursts; it allows for reflection and helps separate difficult experiences from overall positive ones, leading to less heated reactions.
3. Re-engage for Anxiety & Panic
When facing significant anxiety or panic attacks, commit to or re-engage with a meditation practice to process and manage overwhelming feelings, even if immediate ‘bliss’ is not achieved.
4. Commit to Daily Meditation
Practice meditation consistently every day, even for a short duration like 20 minutes, as the cumulative effect provides significant long-term benefits for managing emotions and stress.
5. Meditate in Performance Space
Before a high-stakes performance or activity, meditate in the actual space where it will occur to help ground yourself and acclimate to the environment.
6. Embrace Sounds During Meditation
When meditating in a non-silent environment, acknowledge and accept ambient sounds (e.g., ’that is our sound guy walking up the stairs, breathe in’) rather than fighting them, to orient yourself to the environment.
7. Flexible Meditation Posture
Do not feel pressured to adopt a specific, difficult meditation posture like lotus if it is uncomfortable; the core of meditation is clear observation, not necessarily physical contortion.
8. Observe Thoughts Without Attachment
During meditation, observe thoughts and feelings as they arise without getting carried away or ‘yanked around’ by them, as this creates distance and allows for better handling of mental states.
9. Avoid Meditation Expectations
Approach meditation without specific expectations about how you should feel (e.g., blissed out, zenned out), as expecting a particular outcome can hinder the process and lead to disappointment.
10. Process Professional Failures Actively
When facing significant professional failures, actively process the experience rather than trying to avoid or outrun it, as this allows for learning and moving on without hitting a wall of anxiety.
11. Seek Honest Partner Support
Lean on a supportive and honest partner during times of adversity, allowing them to help you confront and process difficult experiences, preventing self-pity and providing perspective.
12. Gain Perspective on Adversity
When feeling like a ’loser’ or facing adversity, seek perspective from others who can normalize the experience, as this can reduce self-pity and highlight the commonality of human struggles.
13. Embrace Ignorance for Motivation
In some cases, allow a degree of ‘ignorance’ or lack of full understanding about potential difficulties to fuel initial motivation and confidence, as overthinking can sometimes be paralyzing.
14. Delete Social Media for Overload
If experiencing mental overload, especially from social media, consider deleting the app from your phone to reduce exposure to overwhelming information and improve mental well-being.
15. Prioritize Self-Care Appointments
Prioritize self-care routines like acupuncture or meditation, finding ways to ensure you can attend them (even if it means creative scheduling or explanations), due to their significant benefits for physical and mental health.
16. Consider Stage Name for Separation
If entering a public-facing role, consider using a stage name to create a psychological separation between your personal self and your professional persona, which can help protect against public criticism.
7 Key Quotes
I always wondered if I should have taken a stage name because sometimes I'm saying something and I'm like, your grandfather doesn't need to pay for this.
John Mulaney
All that's supposed to happen really is that you're supposed to see clearly whatever's happening already. And that, that actually is magic.
Dan Harris
I had to go through it rather than, you know, around it.
John Mulaney
None of the critics liked it, but fortunately the audience didn't like it either.
John Mulaney
You've never been unpopular before.
Anna Marie (John Mulaney's wife)
Sometimes you just need like a hook, and ours had a tuna on it.
John Mulaney
You could approach this as a news junkie or as someone who likes the memoir of a foreign correspondent or whatever. Like, there's so many ways in.
John Mulaney
1 Protocols
John Mulaney's Daily Meditation Practice (Current)
John Mulaney- Find a dark, empty dressing room at the Lyceum Theater.
- Sit in a lotus position on the floor.
- Meditate for 20 minutes.
- Embrace ambient sounds (e.g., sound guy walking, pipes) as part of the environment, returning focus to breath.