The Humor Habit, and Why Bar Takers Might Need It Most

Let’s get serious about not being so serious.

Bar prep is brutal. It’s all-consuming, often joy-depleting, and it can turn even the most well-adjusted law grads into sleep-deprived zombies who flinch at the word “hearsay.” But what if one of your most powerful tools for surviving (and maybe even thriving) during bar prep wasn’t flashcards or flowcharts but ... humor?

In The Humor Habit, Paul Osincup makes the case that laughter isn’t just a nice distraction. It’s a practice. A mindset. And, when practiced intentionally, it becomes a tool that reduces stress, builds resilience, and boosts productivity. Of course, these are things every bar taker needs more of.

Let’s look at four practical ways to build a “humor habit” into your bar prep life.

1. Master Your Mindset (Think Improv Comedy, Not Exam Panic)

One of the most insightful tools Osincup borrows comes from improv comedy. Yes, that thing where people make scenes up on stage. But you don’t have to be on stage to benefit from improv's core principles, especially when you're facing the curveballs of bar exam study.

Be Present. In improv, success depends on being fully in the moment. The same goes for the bar exam. You can't overthink the last question or obsess about the next one. You have to respond to the one in front of you. Staying grounded reduces anxiety and improves focus. Want to know what mindfulness looks like for bar prep? It looks like this: Read the question. Spot the issue. Apply the rule. Move on. One task at a time.

Really Listen. Improv scenes fall apart when someone ignores the setup. If your partner says, “Let’s escape the moon base,” and you say, “We’re not on the moon, we’re at Target,” the momentum dies. In bar prep, your “scene partner” is the fact pattern. Really listening means noticing what’s actually there. Don't bring your own assumptions or wish list of topics. Just work with what’s given—and respond with precision.

Turn Mistakes into Material. There are no mistakes in improv—only “gifts” that can be used to move the scene forward. Try applying this mindset to your own study process. Missed a question? That’s not failure. That’s a gift-wrapped opportunity to refine your understanding. Said something ridiculous in your essay? Cool. Learn from it, laugh about it, and try again tomorrow.

Say "Yes, and …" This one needs a little unpacking. In improv, when someone introduces a new idea, you’re taught to say “Yes, and…” to keep the scene going. It doesn’t mean blind agreement; rather, it means acceptance and addition. You accept the premise and add something to it.

In bar prep, adopting a “Yes, and…” mindset helps you roll with the unexpected. Didn’t expect a question on Secured Transactions? “Yes, and now I’m going to tackle it anyway.” Struggling with your first MPT? “Yes, and I’ll watch a breakdown video or review the sample response and try again.”

It’s about openness, flexibility, and learning how to flow forward, instead of freezing up or shutting down. When things get tough, saying “Yes, and…” to yourself reframes stress as something you can handle—and maybe even grow from.

2. Consciously Consume Humor (Not Doomscrolling, But Actual Laughter)

You are what you consume. During bar prep, that can be a dangerous thing. Stress, panic, comparison culture, perfectionism? It’s everywhere. You have to counterbalance all of that with things that fill your cup — not empty it.

That’s where intentional humor consumption comes in.

Instead of scrolling endlessly through social media or watching hour-long YouTube deep dives on obscure essay predictions, try spending 5 to 10 minutes per day consuming content that is designed only to make you laugh.

Find your favorite meme page. Watch a clip from a comedy special. Revisit your favorite sitcom or stand-up set. Follow a parody legal account. Whatever makes you smile—schedule it. Treat it like a daily vitamin.

You can also appoint a “humor homie”—someone you trust to exchange funny memes, texts, or gifs with during bar prep. Don’t overthink it. One chuckle-worthy video per day is enough to spark a laugh—and reset your stress.

Why does this matter? Because the science says it works. People who laugh during short breaks are more productive, more creative, and more resilient when they return to work. That’s not fluff—it’s cognitive science.

So, yes, that cat video might just be good bar strategy.

3. Find the Funny (Even in MBE Disaster Mode)

Your brain is always on the lookout for patterns. When you train it to look for what’s wrong or stressful, it gets really good at spotting stress. But when you train it to notice what’s funny — what’s joyful, ironic, absurd, or ridiculous — it gets better at that, too.

That’s the power of priming.

One way to build this muscle is with the “Three Funny Things” habit. At the end of each day, write down three things that made you laugh, grin, or smirk — even if it was just a weird typo in your outline or a bizarre hypothetical in an MBE question. This practice literally reconditions your brain to notice the humorous moments already around you — and makes the day feel lighter as a result.

Another option? Create a Humor Jar. Grab a container, some paper, and start dropping in short notes every time something funny or ridiculous happens during bar prep. Then, when you’re having a bad day, pull a few out and read them. It’s a time capsule of proof that you can find light, even in heavy moments.

You can also play the “What I Could Have Said” game — a reframe tool for when something awkward or stressful happens. Instead of dwelling on a moment where you froze up or flubbed an answer, rewrite it in your head with a comedic twist. It might not change what happened, but it changes how you relate to it — which is what really matters.

4. Play with Pain (Because Humor Is Resilience in Disguise)

Let’s be real: bar prep isn’t just hard. It can painful: the pressure, the isolation, the fear of failure. It wears you down.

Humor doesn’t eliminate that pain—but it can give you a little distance from it. Enough space to breathe. Enough perspective to carry on.

Start small. Use exaggeration as a coping tool. If you bombed a practice test, instead of spiraling, say: “I did so badly that the essay question filed a restraining order against me.” It sounds silly, but that’s the point. It interrupts the shame spiral and gives you room to reset.

You can also use comparisons or metaphors to reframe your struggle. “Reading the MPT library was like decoding instructions from IKEA, written in Latin, while blindfolded.” Make it funny, and suddenly it’s not just hard—it’s human.

Or try the “Unfortunately / Fortunately” game. It goes like this:

✅ Unfortunately, I fell asleep during my Evidence review. Fortunately, I now know hearsay from my dreams.

✅ Unfortunately, I cried in the law library. Fortunately, it was during the part of my outline on emotional distress damages.

That’s the kind of humor that keeps you grounded. And it works best when shared. Don’t keep it to yourself. Share your bar prep bloopers with friends, classmates, or your humor homie. The laughs will multiply—and so will the support.

Final Thoughts

Building a humor habit doesn’t mean you’re slacking off. It means you’re strategically rewiring your brain to handle stress, setbacks, and long-haul study fatigue.

Humor helps you stay present. Bounce back faster. Connect more deeply. And maybe—just maybe—enjoy the ride a little more.

So yes, study hard. Grind when you need to. But don’t forget to laugh. Daily. Deliberately. On purpose.