While awe can be found in a bucket-list vacation or a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it can also be found in much simpler situations — if we pay attention.
A Simple Ingredient for Wellness
When we think about wellness, we often think about exercising, eating healthy, getting enough sleep or taking a vacation. All those are really important, and we have better lives when we do those things. But there is another wellness ingredient we sometimes forget, even though it’s simple: awe.
Awe is the feeling we experience when we encounter something so beautiful, vast, inspiring or unexpected it changes our perspective, even if only for a moment. It might happen while watching a spectacular sunset, listening to live music, seeing an amazing work of art, or looking up at a sky full of stars.
The practice of law trains us to narrow our focus. Awe helps us zoom out.
One reason awe is beneficial is that it temporarily shifts our focus away from our pressing thoughts, worries and responsibilities and toward something bigger. For those of us who spend a lot of time focused on details, this shift can be really valuable. Instead of remaining narrowly focused on deadlines, client issues or the next item on the to-do list, awe invites us to zoom out and see the bigger picture. Our responsibilities are still there, but they no longer feel like the entire universe.
Awe is good for our well-being. It can reduce stress, decrease rumination, improve mood, and increase feelings of connection with other people. Some studies suggest that awe may reduce inflammation and create a greater sense of having enough time.
Researchers believe this happens because awe helps us realize we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Summer naturally creates opportunities to experience more awe. Here are five ways to feel some awe — or, in other words, to feel awe-some.
1. Watch an Awe-Inspiring Sunrise or Sunset
How often do you watch a sunrise or sunset? Maybe not often. This summer, choose one morning or evening each week to simply watch the sky. Notice the colors changing. Listen to the sounds around you. Pay attention to how the light changes from one minute to the next.
It may seem like a small thing, but these moments naturally interrupt the constant mental chatter that many of us carry throughout the day. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is stop trying to accomplish something and simply experience life.
2. Spend Time in Awe of Nature
One of the most reliable sources of awe is nature. There is something about standing beneath towering trees, looking out over the ocean, or gazing across a mountain vista that reminds us our problems, while real, are one part of a much larger world. Spending time outside gives our eyes and mind something entirely different to focus on.
You don’t have to plan an elaborate vacation to experience this feeling. Visit a nearby park. Walk a nature trail. Sit by a lake. Explore a botanical garden. Spending an hour (or even less) outdoors in a place that feels peaceful and expansive can shift your perspective toward awe.
3. Experience Awe-Inspiring Human Creativity
Nature is not the only place you’ll find awe. Some of the most memorable moments of awe come from witnessing human creativity — art, music, theatre, architecture, poetry and more. Since we spend much of our time using our analytical brains, spending time appreciating creativity allows us to use a different part of our brains, leaving us feeling inspired.
Attend a concert. Visit an art museum. Watch a play. Tour a historic building or take an architectural tour. Listen to a symphony. Explore a local art or dance festival. These experiences remind us that people are capable of remarkable things. They invite us to appreciate beauty, creativity and craftsmanship instead of constantly evaluating problems and searching for solutions.
4. Learn With Curiosity and Awe
Not all awe comes from seeing something. Sometimes it comes from learning something. The more we learn about the world, the more fascinating it becomes. Curiosity naturally leads to wonder, and wonder often leads to awe — especially when we are learning something completely outside our usual areas of expertise.
If your reading list usually consists of legal updates, business books and professional development, consider exploring another topic simply because it interests you. Read about the James Webb Space Telescope and the breathtaking images it has captured. Watch a documentary about the deep ocean. Learn how migrating birds travel thousands of miles each year or how ancient civilizations built monuments that still stand today.
5. Share Awe With Someone Else
Some experiences become even more meaningful when they are shared. Research suggests that shared moments of awe strengthen social connections and increase feelings of generosity and gratitude. Those benefits extend long after the experience itself.
Years from now, you probably won’t remember another evening spent answering emails. But you are likely to remember watching your child’s face light up at the sight of a shooting star or hearing your favorite song performed live on a summer evening with your friends.
Watch fireworks with your family. Take your grandchildren to a planetarium. Attend an outdoor concert with friends. Visit a museum with your significant other. Introduce someone you care about to a place you love. These are the moments that will stay with us.
This summer, make room for experiences that remind you how extraordinary the world really is. You may find that one of the most effective wellness practices isn’t another task to check off your list. It’s simply allowing yourself to be amazed. You never know what might leave you awestricken.
Featured Image Licensed under the Unsplash+ License
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