Finding Awe in Nature

Have you ever gone on a nature hike with a toddler? If you have, you might have noticed, 1) it can take a very long time to go a very short distance, 2), sticks are the ultimate (pretend) weapon (at least my boys seemed to think so) and, 3), toddlers are fascinated by so many things adults often overlook. 

What those toddlers are experiencing is called ‘awe’ and they are definitely on to something. Awe is a positive emotion that can significantly enhance our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health. It can lead to improved mood, greater life satisfaction, generosity, and a concern for others. In a recent (2023) article in Psychology Today, Karolyn A. Gazella states that incorporating awe into your daily routine can lessen anxiety and depression and that repeatedly experiencing awe can positively influence our stress response, inflammation, and brain function. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? 

So what IS awe? Well, the key components are vastness and accommodation. Vastness accounts for anything much larger than ourselves or than what we are used to perceiving and accommodation is the adjustment of our cognition to mindfully ‘take it all in’ and actively appreciate the experience of wonder. I think of the wooded parks where I like to hike. There is one park in particular with the tallest pines you can imagine. When you take a moment to appreciate how majestic these trees are and how they have been around and will be around for years and years and years, it’s hard NOT to experience awe. Many people feel the same way when looking out into the ocean (or a Great Lake!) or up at the stars, or watching a sunset. It is the feeling of wonder or amazement in the presence of vastness. 

Allowing yourself to experience awe shifts your attention and energy outward instead of inward. It quiets negative self-talk and encourages gratitude, optimism, and connection to nature and humanity. The key is to treat awe as a state of being and to regularly flex 

your ‘awe muscle’ by observing your surroundings and letting yourself get lost in that wonderment. Most likely, you’ll find that experiencing awe becomes easier and easier the more you practice. 

Here at The Well Being, we encourage exercise for mental health. The next time you exercise outdoors - hiking, biking, skiing, running - look around. Turn off the music or podcast and listen to the sounds (or stillness) of nature. Find wonder in the tall trees, the many lakes, and the squirrels and deer that are never too far away. Your mental 

health - and inner toddler- will thank you.