You’ve got your ‘first place’ which is your home, then your ‘second place’ – your work/school. But what the heck is your ‘third place’ and why is it so important?? Read on to find out why your Third Place is so important to your mental health.
Urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg wrote a book back in ’89 called The Great Good Place. In it, he spoke of ‘three places.’ Your home, your work and a third place – which he calls The Great Good Place. He lamented the “decline of social spots, and fervently advocated for their importance as hubs of communication and personal fulfillment.”
A ‘third place’ is an informal gathering place and are crucial for creating and fostering community and relationships. These places are where we can conduct unplanned events, meet up and have conversations and interactions that create a sense of community.
These include parks, public gardens, beaches, café’s, hairdressers, pubs and other places that allow everyone and anyone to join
in. These places are valuable for our mental health and as they decline, our mental health suffers. The COVID pandemic amplified the need for these spaces as we all lost access to them. Since then, as the world recovers we are still yet to get back to pre-pandemic usage levels of these spaces.
American author and CEO of Berkshire Publishing Group Karen Christensen Christensen, has edited and written several books on community and strongly believes that the third place, a responsibility-free zone “where we can be spontaneous and have serendipitous experiences, meet strangers”, is essential for wellbeing, productivity and happiness.
Getting back to our pre-pandemic lives has been difficult as some business still enforce rules relating to how many people can be in a shop while others in our community are more aware of risks and are therefore not interacting like they used to. Online communities have become popular and although they help to alleviate the problem – in-person meets ups and face to face contact is the best way to improve
your mental health.
So what can you do to get your pre-pandemic mojo back?
Dress like the old days
Now don’t go donning a ridiculous hat and a ball gown. I don’t mean THOSE old days. (Although if that’s your jam – go for it sis!) But take the time to look in the mirror before you leave the house. Use styling tricks such as putting on a belt, rolling up your sleeves and changing out your accessories to match. These small things will make you feel like you’re ‘going somewhere.’ Which means you won’t mind being seen in public. Ditch the uggs and the tracky daks and get back into the good gear. Check out my personal recommendations for a glow up!
Make (and keep) coffee dates
Right. Go to your contacts list. Pick a mate. Doesn’t matter who. Any mate. Copy and paste this text: Hey mate, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you! I miss your face! Let’s go get coffee Now insert a place, a date and a time. And once that date is set up, no re-nigging! Make it a weekend and go on a road trip together.
Linger in public places
Not in a creepy way. But once you finish your coffee, have a sit on the seat for a bit longer. Don’t look at your phone. Just sit and say g-day to the people who walk past. Pat a doggie or two. Check out that plant you’ve been admiring. Stroll down the street and window shop. Give yourself a chance to interact with others in a meaningful way. Smile at people so they smile back – this type of positive interaction will boost your mood and help your mental health.
Make time to have time
“I don’t have time. I’m flat chat. Who has that kind of time?” I know, I know, you’re busy. We’re all busy. But the reality is; if you don’t take time to make time, you’ll never have time. Giving yourself an opportunity to slow down and communicate with people around you is a kind and loving thing to do for yourself and don’t you deserve some kindness and love? Yes, Queen – you do.
