Mike: This is tiny improvements.

I'm Mike by Foco.

I live in a fast growing city
in the Southeast us where.

Urban design and city planning
are always a hot topic.

As population density has increased.

It's become apparent that Charlotte
needs to make drastic and sweeping

changes to accommodate the growing
number of people living in the area.

Naturally, this means I'm also
reading heaps about urban planning.

Which is where I first heard
the term third place being used.

The third place is a term
coined by sociologist Ray.

Oldenberg referring to places where
people spend time between home their

first place and work their second place.

Third place have traditionally been
where people go to socialize to relax

and to be a part of their community.

You've probably seen them in
urban areas in the form of a town

square Piazza or public park.

There might also be a subway station,
uh, heavily trafficked intersection

or a kiosk on a street corner.

These spaces are important for people
to feel like they belong and have

purpose beyond just home and work.

It gives space for one to decompress and
find entertainment to find reprieve from

the pressures of work and home life.

Simply put the third space is a place
where you're not expected to work or look

after your household and family chores.

It's an important part of
life in finding balance.

Each and every one of us will have
our own personal third spaces.

Spending time regularly in your third
space can provide balance and tranquility,

social interaction and serendipity.

Notably for people living
in suburban places.

The third place might
be completely missing.

Folks, commuting from the suburbs
will skip third places as they

drive straight to and from work.

This phenomenon is particularly common
amongst Americans where it's typical

to drive to work rather than walking,
cycling, or taking public transit.

As you might imagine, this means that
people living like this don't experience

the benefits of a third place in the
same way than an on foot commuter might.

This is particularly harmful for
people who might need a third place.

The most.

Those with demanding jobs, parents
with young children and so on.

For people living in cities, the
third place is often more accessible.

City dwellers are more likely to
live in smaller apartments, which

encourages them to get out more often.

City dwellers are also more likely to
use public transit or walk to work, which

gives them time to socialize or relax
on their way to, and from their job.

The third place is also an
important part of city life.

And it's one of the things that makes
cities such great places to live.

People who work remotely may
find themselves one degree

further away from a third place.

Living and working in the same place
can create a life with only one place.

Blurring the lines between the
home space and the workspace.

This makes finding the benefits of a
third place, even more challenging.

The past several years of post
pandemic living have been extremely

challenging for all of us.

And for many adapting to remote
work has had a steep learning curve.

I have found that in order to
work remotely and live well.

I've needed to make a concerted
effort to build a life that

intentionally includes second and
third places that fit into my routines.

If you're looking for a third place.

There are a few things you can do
to find one that's right for you.

The first step is to find
a place that suits you.

If you're an introvert, you
might want a third place.

That's quiet and relaxing.

If you're an extrovert, you
might want a third place.

That's lively and social.

There are third places
for all kinds of people.

So it's important to find
one that's right for you.

One way to find a third place
that suits you is to explore.

Wonder around your neighborhood and
see what kind of places are there.

Visit a shop or a park you've never
been to, or take a class at a new gym.

If you see a place that looks
interesting, go in and check it out.

You might find a third place that
you never would've thought of.

Otherwise.

For each of us, the third
place will be a unique choice.

It might be your favorite coffee, shop
your backyard, a beach, a hiking trail

or something completely different.

What's important here is that the
third space is literally anything

other than where you do your home
things and your office things.

If you work from home,
this has to work for you.

Find something that makes you feel good.

Energized empowered and different
for me, this has taken many forms.

The first of which is co-working spaces.

Co-working is obviously
near and dear to my heart.

Since once I built a company
around a co-working product.

These are great because they supplant
your typical work community with

like-minded co-located people who
don't have the same problems as you.

You can complain to them or unplug
completely from work and just hang out.

In my experience, people are
far more likely to have a Eureka

moment at a co-working space than
in the stuffy hallways of your

typical cube, farm or open office.

Serendipity is a happy byproduct of
interacting with people who don't

have the same colleagues as you.

Their problems and their joys are
different and they can share their

perspective on your world just
as you can do the same for them.

I really do enjoy cafes as another option.

I have great gear for
making coffee at home yet.

I still spend plenty of time at cafes.

This is because for me, there's
a change in mindset in a cafe.

I know I typically have one to two
hours of comfortable time at any given

coffee shop and I can hammer through
some really great work during this span.

It also requires transit and transition
time on either side of it where I can

clear my mind and give myself a break.

Go out and see nature
on my walk or ride or.

drive over to the coffee shop.

This has a multiplicative
effect on my productivity.

Small doses of repose are really amazing.

Many times I'll use the
outdoors as my third space.

Going for a long walk in the morning of
one to two hours while listening to a

podcast can set my energy for the day.

When I know I've got calls and meetings
and deadlines all day, it helps me

to feel like I haven't burned the
entire day behind my computer screen.

This can also take the form of a run or a
bike ride or whatever you do for exercise.

Turning your mind off of
work is really a booster.

At the end of the day, you still
have to get things done, but doing

so with a mindful eye on balance
can keep you healthier and happier.

There are also times when I know
I'll be on a super long call of 30

minutes or more where I just need
to listen to the people on the call.

Going for a walk during these calls,
even in super hot or super cold weather

is often a guarantee that I'll pay
better attention to the content of the

call than if I'm left to poke around
in my browser on Twitter or Reddit.

I have several regular one-on-ones
with teammates where this is

the expectation and the norm.

Even though we're not in the same place.

We pop in our earbuds and go
for a walk at the same time.

Just talking together, like a
normal old phone call instead of

performing in front of a webcam
for the sake of business normality.

Generally speaking, I've been
really happy as a remote worker

for a long time by creating a
series of third places for myself.

If you're new to working remotely and
you're having a difficult time being

productive, this may provide some relief.

It's also a great way to meet new
people and to find a sense of community.

If you live in a city,
there's a good chance.

You already have a third place.

If you live in a suburb.

You probably have to work a
little harder to find one.

Either way, it's important to find a
third place that suits you and to make

it a habit to spend some time there.

This has been tiny improvements.

I'm mike by foco