Feeling stuck, disconnected, depressed? Unsure what you want from life, unfulfilled, but don’t know what to do about it?
Let me ask you this: have you ever felt a sense of completeness, fulfilment or peace standing while looking at a beautiful sunset or at a concert, completely mesmerized by the sense of community along with the music you grew up with? Then, you have experienced awe. Awe as am emotion arises when we encounter something vast or ‘beyond us’ – think nature, collective gatherings, music, art, spiritual experiences, birth or death, or psychedelic experiences, for example. Awe makes you stop, wonder, and forget about yourself and your daily routine or annoyance for a second, and helps you see the bigger picture.
There is research out there suggesting that experiencing awe can increase both our mental and physical wellbeing. A study by Monroy & Keltner (2022) proposed five pathways to how this works:
- Physiological changes – in simple terms, awe reduces the activation of our sympathetic nervous system (this means your fight or flight response), increases the production of oxytocin (the love hormone) and reduces signs of inflammation in the body.
- Reduced focus on yourself – feeling like you’re a part of something bigger rather then focusing on your imperfections
- Increase in prosocial behaviour – this means increased generosity and helping others, which make you feel much better, too!
- Increased feeling of connection with others – and this common humanity increases our empathy and helps us connect with our social environment.
- Increased sense of purpose or meaning in life – again, seeing the bigger picture!
Awe experiences thus reduce anxiety, depression and stress – and promote optimism, resilience and a sense of connection and meaning in life – the antidote to disconnection! Additionally, a reduction in physical stress can lead to improved cardiovascular health and longevity.
Of course, these experiences can be rare, especially in our fast-paced society – who’s got the time to slow down and really take in our surroundings? Well, I say – make time. For your own good, and for your loved ones and society at large.
But how?
1. Seek out awe experiences, big and small. Below is an example list of things to try:
- Spend time in nature – this could mean taking a holiday, or simply going for a bike ride or walk near where you live.
- Go to a concert
- Watch the sunrise or sunset on a beach
- Look at the starts and constellations at night
- Attend an art installation
- Listen to music loudly at night
- Share, or listen to stories of great human achievement – or kindness.
2. Practice mindfulness and being truly present in the moment – so you don’t miss out on everyday wonders!
Awe is course only one piece of a very complicated puzzle. Improving your mental health is not straightforward and never one-size-fits all. In addition to increasing everyday wonder, you might also want to seek therapy and learn new skills. In addition, if you are very stuck or depressed, even the most beautiful of sunsets may fail to evoke the coveted feeling of awe. However, if you can, try it. It might just improve your outlook.
References:
Monroy, M., & Keltner, D. (2023). Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health. Perspectives in Psychological Science.