Life Hacks: Do you have a third place?
It’s not home, it’s not work but it’s a third place to connect, socialise and be.
Why do you need a third place?
Canadian psychologist Dr Bruce Alexander ran some groundbreaking experiments in the 1970’s. Psychologists were trying to understand addiction by studying how rats responded to drugs. They found that when caged rats were offered a limitless supply of drugs they overdosed and died. The psychologists concluded that drugs were bad and anyone using them would become addicted and die. Dr Alexander saw something different. He created an environment where rats had plenty of space, other rats to engage with and things to do and he also offered a limitless supply of drugs. His experiment was called “Rat Park”. The difference was profound. No rats overdosed and died, even though sometimes they took the drugs, they were more interested in enjoying the environment they were living in. This experiment changed the way we think about addiction and the impact your environment has on your well-being.
What is a third place?
At a similar time to Rat Park, sociologist and author Ray Oldenburg was working on the third place idea. In 1989 he published “The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts and How They Get You Through the Day”. A mouthful of a title which could have been summarised as “A Third Place”.
Ray found a way to describe what has happened in societies since earlier humans came together around the campfire. Different to home (“first” place) and work (“second” place), a third place is a space where you choose to spend time, no one is forcing you to show up. It is a place to connect, exchange ideas, socialise and build relationships. A third place can create a human equivalent of the “rat park” environment and protect against isolation and loneliness. Modern examples of a third place could include your gym, especially if the gym has fostered a sense of community (like F45 or Crossfit), local skate parks or common areas, your local pub or eatery, or your local surf spot.
Think about the places you spend time - are any of these your third place?
How do you get a third place?
If you don’t have a third place it’s super easy to get one, or more than one. Try a few out, spend time in them and see what happens. Notice how you feel in the space and who you interact with. Here are some of my third places if you need inspiration. Tramping huts, Ocean Spa and Te Mata Peak. I think my favourite go-to third place would be a cafe.
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