In an age of digital connection, with millions of ‘friends’ waiting online with a swipe of an app or a click of a button, we are lonelier than ever before.

In Australia’s 2023 State of the Nation report on Social Connection, 1 in 3 Australians report loneliness at any given time, while 1 in 6 Australians report severe levels of loneliness across all age groups. 

This loneliness epidemic is not just concerning for our mental health but has very real physical ramifications. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) long term loneliness and isolation is like smoking 15 cigarettes a day - linked to a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, and early death.

Why loneliness persists

The reasons are complicated and multi-faceted. Addicted to our phones and stratified by technology, we are increasingly socialising online, with dopamine fed through ‘likes’ and online messaging. Economic uncertainty and global shifts drive us further online, where we escape our worldly concerns and numb ourselves with doom scrolling. 

But what if one of the answers to this cascade of negative social effect could be as simple as a cup of tea?

Chai as ritual, chai as remedy

Tea is a symbol of connection, long used across countries, cultures and traditions as a warming cure-all. When someone is sick or heartbroken, it is our knee jerk reaction to make a cup of tea to warm the senses and the soul, instantly evoking a nurturing sense of being loved and taken care of. 

Tea – and in the case of Tiger Purrr, a perfect, aromatic cup of chai tea - can play a role in combating loneliness. The routine of inviting a friend or loved one for a cuppa, the sense of comfort from the ritual of steeping the curated spices and tea leaves, the connection to others through the shared experience of wrapping hands around a steaming mug and letting the chat flow. This physical, in-person experience fosters feelings of warmth, connection and a sense of belonging that cannot be overstated.

A simple practice to try

Our step-by-step guide to overcoming loneliness through chai tea and gratitude...

1. Invite someone around for a cuppa. If you don’t have anyone local that you know, use technology efficiently to your advantage through popular friend making apps like Bumble BFF, Meetup, and Yubo, or perhaps you could have a date over zoom with a loved one where you both prepare and enjoy a warm brew together

2. Select your favourite mugs. Maybe you have two special cups that you love, that make you feel a sense of purpose and meaning when you use them, or make you think of someone who gave them to you. Use the ‘good’ china. Don’t leave things for some uncertain date in the future. Jump into the present and use your very best things right now, with a whole and grateful heart!

3. Prepare the perfect cup of chai, using our fiercely elegant blend of whole leaf assam tea, cassia, cardamom, clove, ginger, star anise, fennel seed, warming Szechuan pepper and angelica root. We love to steep the tea in the milk of choice atop the stove and let the aromas permeate the house like a friend.

4. Nestle in your favourite spot with your friend and let the conversation flow. Whether you’re sitting on a cushion enjoying the winter sun through the window or popping the chai tea in a reusable takeaway cup to take a walk with your mate, the opportunity to chat over tea is the perfect antidote to loneliness. 

5. If there’s no one available in your immediate vicinity right now, take this moment to turn your chai ritual into a visceral embodiment of gratitude. Focus on your beautiful, capable body making the tea, your senses alighting as you smell the dry blend of spices and tea, your privilege to have a roof over your head as you stir your milk of choice. Close your eyes and take five slow deep breaths as the tea steeps and you reflect on the opportunity to build your life by design.

Need to stock up on your Tiger Purrr chai?