How To Get Your Daily Dose Of Awe
There are some simple ways to cultivate awe.
On my travels one day, I saw a skunk. Not one dead by the side of the road. Not one scurrying in the dark. It was a medium sized guy ambling across a campus road just after dawn. There were no other cars or people, so I had the opportunity to stop and watch. It had a clean and shiny coat. It didn’t seem to have a care in the word, pausing to sniff, then moving on. Also sharing this space with me were some squirrels, deer and geese.
It’s hard to describe what I felt. Wonder. Peace. Community. Part of a larger world that included all these other beings. It all adds up to awe.
Maybe you don’t have that kind of nature available, but nature is not the only route to awe. The Peachtree Road Race, held annually on July 4th, has 50,000 runners. It begins with the national anthem followed by all genres of blaring music, blasting horns, cheering, costumes and spectators yelling things that are both incomprehensible and fun. Whether running, walking or watching, there is the feeling of awe, of connection with others, of being part of something bigger that’s kind of great in its own weird way.
Like Dorothy, you don’t have to go to Oz to experience awe — it’s all right there in your own backyard. And you don’t even need a backyard. Last week, practicing yoga in my living room, I caught a glimpse of the sunrise…it was just as awe-inspiring as the ones I’ve seen in faraway, pristine places, even though cars and other evidence of humans were near, and I was about to get ready for work. Nevertheless, I had that same feeling of wonder, peace, community and the awareness that I’m connected to something larger than myself.
There are sunsets and sunrises available to all. There are also national monuments, beaches, concerts, art, music, books and so much more. That amazing play you catch at your favorite team’s game. Even on video that play can inspire awe. The time you hear a song for the 250th time and just have to cry because it’s so beautiful and moving. The opportunities for awe are infinite.
Awe is important to wellness for a lot of reasons. You can read all about it in Dacher Keltner’s wonderful book about awe. There is evidence to suggest that awe improves health and our capacity for critical thinking, increases meaning, joy, social connection and gratitude, and can lead us to be less judgmental and depressed. It may even quiet your inner critic, at least for a while.
When we turn our attention to awe, we can cultivate our ability to experience it.
Here’s how to get your daily dose of awe:
First, acknowledge that you can feel awe. Accept that awe is a real emotion that you can experience no matter what else is going on in your life. If you’ve ever been to the Grand Canyon, any Great Lake or any ocean, remember the vastness, the breathtaking beauty and the incredible fact of the thing merely existing right beside you? That was awe. No matter how crappy I might have been feeling before the skunk appeared, catching that moment of awe changed my mood completely, and it can for you too. This is a hard one since we tend to get caught up in our feelings and thoughts to the exclusion of our experiences in the present. Letting go opening yourself up to the present moment allows awe to come in, even if you’re just looking out a window or driving by in a car.
Second, you’ve got to take a beat. Like me and the skunk, if you can, stop and have a look. Take a pause and drink it in. Feel what you’re feeling. Let it sink in and wash over you. It changed me. It can change you too. Like a sunrise. You might notice it out of the corner of your eye through a window while you’re about to make your morning coffee. Or a sunset as you drive home from work. Or maybe a sparrow lands on your windowsill. Stop, move closer, and really look. Breathe it in. Let yourself feel something. There might be goosebumps. As Keltner says, you might say aloud, whoa, wow or ooh. Just you and the sunset. Just you and that bird, having a moment.
Third, try to be mindful. Notice everything: the sights, sounds, smells and your feelings. The beach even has a taste. Don’t take a picture. Don’t talk about it. Don’t think about how you would describe it. For a moment, focus on the experience. Later, you can write about it, come up with the words to describe it, talk about it, take the picture. In fact, those things are all helpful in solidifying your awe experience.
Fourth, use your memory. You don’t have to be there right now. Memories are another way to feel awe. Once you’ve experienced it, you can bring it back by remembering, looking at the photo or at what you’ve written about the experience. That’s one of the things that’s so important about pictures and journals. They help us remember the look and feel of experiences. Use as many senses as you can to bring back the awe.
Finally, try an awe walk. Keltner describes the awe walk in his book. It involves approaching an outing mindfully and engaging the senses, without distractions like your phone. Use deep breathing to anchor yourself in the present from time-to-time. Notice as much as you can, as if seeing your surroundings for the first time. Ask yourself: What is new here?
On your self-care journey, include this important emotion to boost your health and wellness. Explore the variety of ways you can experience awe. Remember it can be nature, art, music, sports, special events, anything that gives you that Wow! reaction. Allow it to enrich your life, right in your own backyard.
An earlier version of this article was published at YourTango.com.
Visit me at www.drjudithtutin.com to learn more about me and my work.
