When You Embrace Awe and Wonder, It’s Not Only Uplifting – It’s Also GREAT for Your Health!
I’ve been reading about the “Medicine of Awe”. There is good scientific evidence that there is a definite improvement in your health and well-being when you embrace awe and wonder. (I must admit that I had thought that it was good but not proven – well, it now is).
Awe or wonder is similar to gratitude, but bigger. It’s when you experience something powerful, something much bigger than you.
What Happens When You Embrace Awe
Experiencing awe and wonder has a much stronger effect on you than other positive emotions (e.g. joy or amusement).
You might feel physical effects like tingling and goosebumps. Your heart rate lowers as you relax.
But the emotional affects of awe are impressive. As you tap into something larger than you, your sense of self shrinks. And so your mental chatter and your worries reduce too. Yes, awe actively reduces stress. Your desire to connect with and help others also increases.
Astonishingly, awe and wonder can increase your creativity and innovation, improving your thinking and helping you to make more ethical decisions.
Read on for easy ways to embrace awe – and my personal viewpoint……
How to Embrace Awe
That’s great, but how do you embrace wonder? Well, it’s probably easier than you think.
Just look around you and really notice things.
It can be something as simple as the color of leaves on a tree or plant, or a beautiful flower. Or it can be something incredible like viewing the Milky Way, or a beautiful vast landscape. It can be witnessing an act of great kindness, enjoying a sunset, seeing animals in their natural habitat, or watching a child’s first steps. It can be the feel of soft sand under your feet on a beach, with the waves lapping and the vast expanse of ocean stretching forever away from you.
A great idea is to take an “awe walk.” Take twenty minutes to wander and be curious and observe the everyday beauty around you, even in a familiar place close your home or work. Notice places and things you might typically rush past. Afterwards, you will feel inspired, calmer, and better able to focus.
Even better, take an awe walk in a natural landscape. Research shows that walks in Nature, compared to urban environments, have an even more positive effect on your mood and well-being. Nature is a powerful source of wonder and awe. Nature’s rhythms also remind us that we are a part of the natural world.
If you can’t go outside, take advantage of the wonders online. Several studies have shown that videos can stimulate awe. Documentaries of the natural world such as Planet Earth, or an inspiring story, or even listening to music might give you goosebumps (classical music is perfect for drawing you in).
You can also invite moments of awe by asking the simple question “What’s beautiful here?”. Then take it in with all your senses. Appreciate it and let it lift your spirits.
Moments of awe and wonder matter, even the smallest ones. Cultivate and savor them.
A Personal Viewpoint
I have been lucky enough to travel to see several total solar eclipses around the world. The first one – perhaps my favourite – was in Zambia.
We watched it from the middle of nowhere in the African Bush – a dense, rugged landscape, clogged with trees and vines and full of life, with lots of noise and movement all around. And then, slowly, slowly, the noise dropped. The birds went silent. As the eclipse drew nearer, even the insects stopped chirping. I’m getting goosebumps as I write this – the Bush is never silent, even at night. But it was then. And the eclipse was stunning. The silence was incredible – it was as if the whole world was holding its breath.
It was truly awe-inspiring, and I shall remember it always.
But recently, I watched a news clip of a total solar eclipse, and it looked wonderful. Except for – to me – one huge problem. Instead of just watching and appreciating, people were screaming and yelling “oh wow” and similar. I thought that was a huge shame. Nature doesn’t need human screams. It’s wonderful enough just to be present and appreciative.
(And I don’t think you get the same health benefits if you’re watching but yelling at the same time).
So, when you see something awe-inspiring, no matter how big or small, please don’t yell. Let everyone appreciate it.
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Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to see what you can do to help slow climate change – click here (it’s free)