Self care seems to be the theme of 2019 whether it be from social media fatique, being overworked, or general anxiety around relationships. The tough thing is that there is lonliness one of the triggers that can damage your mental health and can lead to many other physical health problems in the process.

At Break the Love, community culture is at the core of what we do. We are on a mission to connect people through sport and the reason why is we have seen first hand the effects of getting involved in beyond just fitness. By taking part in a community of like-minded tennis enthusiasts, it becomes a simple way to stop yourself from feeling lonely without having to drop a ton of money for a social club or time outside of working out.

By thinking of tennis as therapy, you can make the most out of your time on the court and off it that helps your overall wellbeing.

Below we have outlined some ways that you can play tennis and engage in tennis culture to help shake off any loneliness you may have felt from 2019 into the New Year.

START WITH A TENNIS COACH

You may already be surrounded by a lot of friends and family to the point that you are overloaded - yet it is completely possible for you to feel like the people around you don't get you. This can also be caused by a lack of self-confidence or self-worth, resulting in a feeling where it's hard for you to like yourself or be liked by others. That shouldn't be a reason for you to feel intimidated to get back into playing and potentially missing out on an opportunity to meet people who do get you in the process.

A sure fire way to help is to get a coach for a few sessions to, of course get back into playing without the pressure of your level against others but also to let out a bit of steam while still having company on the court.

Tennis is as much a mental game as it is physical, and tennis coaches are typically trained really well to help you beyond just your strokes or footwork. They are there to help you combat any anxiousness and generate optimism to nail whatever your weakness is. In doing so, you are able to feel a sense of accomplishment and gain more optimism both on and off the court because you just worked on something together with someone. It's also a great way to get recommendations on group classes, leagues, or rallies that might be for you given that your coach would have gotten to know you by then.

SIGN UP FOR A ROUND ROBIN

Round robins are a low pressure way to not only get a sweat but also to meet a lot of people in one go. You may not hit it off with everyone but odds are you are bound to hit it off with someone since there are typically a minimum of 12 people for a round robin to happen. What is also great about round robins is that people who join are of course competing, but since it isn't in a league structure people tend to be friendlier after the fact and usually want to socialize a bit. The best part - by the time everyone is finished with the round robin, everyone's guard is down so you might naturally connect with people on a deeper level instead of just networking.

JOIN A LEAGUE

Leagues can be hit or miss but once you find the right league there is a lot of camaraderie that you can feel by being on a team working towards a common goal. Tennis can be lonely to play even when you are playing with a friend so by being in a league you can add some structure and group activities beyond tennis to make it more social and fun. Need help navigating the system, get our tips and tricks here.

PLAY DOUBLES

A lot of players prefer singles, but if you are ever given the chance - we highly recommend taking up any opportunities to play doubles. Doubles tends to already be a bit more fun because there are more players on the court to chat with during switch overs and to grab a bite or drink with after. It also makes the time on and off the court a bit less awkward or intense with 4 people instead of being 1:1 with a person for an hour or two.

Break HQ

PHOTO CREDITED TO SAAD AMAR AND OWNED BY BREAK THE LOVE INC.