There are a lot of compelling reasons to play tennis. Numerous studies show that people who play the sport have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and live an average of 9.7 years longer than sedentary people. Additionally, the sport is a terrific social mechanism for building enduring relationships. However, the most important reason to play tennis is because it is fun. At least, it is supposed to be.
Maintaining a tennis happiness journal can help you become more aware of the impact the sport has on your emotional health. I have encountered a few people throughout my life for whom tennis was a source of stress rather than pleasure. When I first started playing USTA Adult League, I noticed that the culture of weekday leagues was completely different than on the weekend. Eventually, I realized that for many weekday players, tennis was a significant source of drama in their lives. In contrast, most of the weekend players engaged with the sport to escape the drama of the rest of their lives.
Being mindful of what brings you joy in tennis can profoundly impact your happiness. Armed with that knowledge, you can prioritize what types of engagement truly bring satisfaction and fulfillment. This heightened awareness reduces stress and anxiety, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation. It can also foster a sense of purpose toward the sport.
The tennis happiness journal can also drive the design-oriented thinking approach that is central to the book Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life. The insight that analyzing what aspects of tennis bring you joy (and perhaps more importantly, what does not) can help you conduct experiments that help you expand your engagement within the tennis ecosystem.
For example, if you like hanging out at tournaments but dread stepping out onto the court for a match… you might find more joy as an administrative volunteer or official. The only way to find out is to give that a try. If you like texting about USTA League at all hours of the night to optimize a weekly lineup… you might be captain material. Signing up to do that would be a potentially valuable experiment to find out.
The most important reason to play tennis is for the sheer enjoyment it brings. It is supposed to be a source of fun and pleasure, not stress or drama. By cultivating mindfulness about what truly brings you joy in the sport, you can enhance your overall happiness and well-being, making it a truly fulfilling part of your life journey.
Throughout 2024, I am publishing a series of essays imaging how to apply the principles in ‘Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life‘ (<- sponsored link), which is a non-tennis book that I have come to believe that everyone should read.
A chronological summary of all posts on this topic is available on the Designing Your Tennis Life summary page.
