The third place

12_4_origI have a neighbor who heads to the beach when life becomes too stressful. When she felt the strain from caregiving for her 95 year-old mother or the overwhelming demands of at work, watching and listening to the waves, feeling the sand under her feet and the warmth of the sun provided a healing experience. This isn’t so surprising since years ago, scientists discovered that when we experience “burnout” such as from an exhausting day at work or caring for a loved one, natural surroundings like parks, green spaces, and beaches offer a soothing environment to de-stress. Research now shows that in addition to visiting natural surroundings, “third place” locations, like health clubs, coffee shops, restaurants and senior centers may also offer some of those same restorative qualities. Sociologist, Ray Oldenburg coined the terms “first, second and third place” about twenty years ago. “First place" is home. "Second place" is the workplace. “Third places” are informal meeting places we...

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