Could Pickleball Be Your Happiness Hack?
When an announcement for a beginner’s pickleball class appeared in my inbox I wondered if it might be just the opportunity I needed. It could be a chance to replace the casual social connections I’d lost during covid, when my yoga and running buddies fell by the wayside for various reasons. The absence of those social connections created a happiness and well-being deficit. The conversations we have, sharing little snippets of life, sometimes over the course of years, don’t seem like much, until they’re gone. This is especially true if, like me, you work from home.
Starting pickleball is like joining a running or hiking group, or a yoga or exercise class — these are all communities that welcome newbies, tend to meet regularly and go on for extended periods of time.
It’s easy to see why pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country. Because there’s a very shallow learning curve, you’re quickly enjoying the play. Because it’s everywhere, it’s easy to find courts and people at your level. The more I play, the more I realize how much the sport contributes to my happiness and wellbeing, and I can see it’s the same for the people I play with. As several fellow picklers have remarked, it’s addictive. But in a good way.
Here’s how pickleball boosts happiness and well-being. You will:
· Spend time outdoors. The value of spending time outside is well established, including its contribution to decreased stress and improved sleep, creativity and health. Even in an urban space there are still birds, the sky and the feel of the sun or wind on your face. Instead of spending those hours sitting at my desk or on my couch, I’m outside. It’s a nice mood boost.
· Get exercise. Pickleball is not terribly physically demanding, but my watch tells me I burn calories, earn steps and increase my heart rate, so there are obvious benefits, even if it does occasionally ask if I’ve finished my workout. It’s good to warm up a little beforehand, and stretch a little after, so overall, you’re getting in a decent workout. There’s some cognitive exercise as well. Just read how the scoring works and you’ll probably respond like most of us…What??? You must learn it and pay attention to apply it (with varying degrees of success) which is probably as beneficial as doing Sudoku, in my humble opinion. It also makes for a lot of comic relief when no one can remember the score, or everyone remembers a different score and you all realize it doesn’t really matter. It is, after all, for fun.
· Have more social contact. There are people of all ages and walks of life, which is delightful. As in any human community, there are some sticklers for the rules, aggressive bangers, over-apologizers, shit-talkers and the forever butthurt. To be honest, there is occasional drama. It can be a little like a middle school dance — who will you partner with now? But since you’re not a tween or teen, it’s not nearly as painful. But most important, I’ve met some fantastic people I’d never have met otherwise. You chat when you warm up and between games. Maybe even during games if you’re playing with the we’re-not-taking-this-so-seriously group. My buddies even got me a plant after the death of my cat.
· Learn something. There is the slight discomfort of trying something you won’t be great at immediately. Did I say shallow learning curve? It’s true that the game is easy to learn with only minimal effort. Getting better takes work. When you see yourself improving it’s a little bit of a high, a little bit of a stretch. It’s the kind of stretch that’s good for enhancing well-being. Having a new challenge in your life contributes to happiness, particularly, ahem, as you age.
· Set goals. You may set the simple goal of learning to play or the goal of playing three times a week. You might decide to play in a league or take lessons. I love a good challenge, so I go to drills and play in tournaments. You could set a goal of playing tournaments in every state like marathoners (special bonus: you don’t have to run 1,310 miles). Succeeding at challenges makes us more confident.
· Work on patience. This goes for patience with yourself and others. Patience with yourself because it takes time to improve and you will make mistakes. Frequently. You’ll probably play doubles, which is a joy since it cuts down the pounding on your feet and knees and it’s fun to share the wins and losses. But it also means patience with your partner who may be having a bad day, pickleball-wise or otherwise, or having a great day when you’ve gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. But you see, that’s also the joy. Your partner raises your mood and your game, and vice versa.
· Unplug. People aren’t looking at their phones on the court and rarely walk off to take a call. I’m just playing or relaxing between games. I don’t check my phone until I’m finished. It’s liberating to be free of it all and a surefire stress reducer.
As a new hobby, consider that it’s:
· Inexpensive. You don’t have to invest much to give it a try. You can buy a paddle on the cheap and you don’t need special clothing. It’s an opportunity to buy new clothes if that’s your jam, but anything athletic will do and you’ll see people in everything from fashionista gear to old gym shorts and t-shirts. You do need court shoes, which you probably have in the back of your closet. If you don’t like the game, it’s not much of a loss.
· A sport with longevity. Compare pickleball with tennis. The paddle is a lot lighter than a tennis racket. It’s not as stressful on your shoulders, arms and wrists. The ball is lighter. When you get hit with it there’s no damage. Okay, maybe an occasional, tiny bruise. The smaller court means less running. I’m thinking my knees will hold up better long-term since I swapped out a couple of days of running for pickleball. If you play smart — i.e., within your limits, meaning you back off if something hurts, you don’t go after shots like you’re 20 if you’re not, and you don’t go from not exercising at all to overdoing it — you probably won’t get injured.
· Travel-friendly. It’s easy to throw two paddles and a couple of balls in a bag so when I visit my son we can play. Even though he’d never played before, he was able to pick it up immediately. Being an athlete, he could beat me from the get-go, which was annoying, but still super fun.
Responding to that announcement by taking my first class and deciding to keep going has been life changing. Replacing the missing social connections has been paramount for me. For you, getting regular exercise or the opportunity to unplug could be the best part. It’s all about getting together to do something fun and challenging, but not too challenging (think flow), outdoors.
Judith Tutin, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and certified life coach. Connect with her at drjudithtutin.com where you can request a free coaching call to bring more passion, fun and wellness to your life.
An earlier version of this article was published at YourTango.com.
Visit me at www.drjudithtutin.com to learn more about me and my work.
