Wherever you are right now, you are occupying a place that boosts brain activity. Perhaps you are tuning out the place you are in to read this post, but it is still there around you and in your brain.
Place grounds us through our 6 senses: vision, hearing, proprioception, smell, taste, and touch. Certain sights, smells, and sounds arise in a certain place in a certain season. Cooler nights and shorter days accompany autumn’s arrival next week. A flock of migrating birds may fly overhead, or a favorite tree may yield a harvest of fruit.
And in case we miss theses signs of a change in season, Halloween displays in stores are there to remind us: autumn is here.
The natural world and the built environment combine to form the spaces we live in. Our brain turns these spaces into the special places of our lives.
Place boosts brain activity
A sense of place is crucial to our brain health. Located deep within the brain, the hippocampus uses time and place to store our life experiences. Gradually, these memories form a personal story that organizes brain health and keeps the mind sharp.
At different life stages, we migrate from one place to another. Our life story unfolds over time in these personally meaningful places that hold the secrets of our souls. Through these special places, we learn where we are, who we are, and what matters.
The key to renewal is reminiscing. When we come to our senses, memories strengthen our brain’s self superpower. If you are ready to rejuvenate your mind and brain, let’s travel in time to visit 7 special places of your life. Remember as many sensory details as you can for each place.
7 special places of your life
#1: Rise
Where did you grow up, in one place or many? Consider the main place you associate with childhood. Recall the geography, weather, seasons, rituals, festivals, cultural activities, and life experiences of this special place.
#2: Role
Where did you first assume an adult role that got your life on a roll? This place could be associated with education, employment, family, military or public service, sports, or other activity. Remember what it felt like to discover your abilities and get launched in the world beyond your family of origin.
#3: Romance
What place do you associate with finding romance and love? If this person is still in your life, reminisce about old times with them. If not, consider Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poetic line, “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Remember the wonderful feeling of falling in love.
#4: Rebirth
Where did you begin a new life? This special place could be associated with a new home, a new job, a new relationship, a new role, or a new stage of life that stirred a sense of excitement and adventure in your soul.
#5: Retreat
What place did you need to leave behind? A job, lifestyle, or relationship can bring us to the wrong place at the wrong time. Our soul may prompt us to move on, for the sake of our well-being. Even so, we are often left with some fond memories of a place we left.
#6: Recreation
What is your favorite place to have fun? Maybe it’s going to the beach, taking your family for a hike, or going out to dinner with a friend at your favorite restaurant. Wherever it is, think about your happy memories from this place. It’s time to go back!
#7: Reach
This is the most important place of your life: your next place! Perhaps it is time to start a new class, hobby, exercise program, or volunteer work. Maybe it is time for you to migrate to a new home or community where you have more social engagement.
Wherever your special places have been, there is always a next place to reach for. Remember, place boosts brain activity and mental health. Happy trails!
To learn more about the hippocampus and how to boost brain health with neuroplasticity, see Better with Age: The Ultimate Guide to Brain Training by Phyllis Strupp.
