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The lingering strains of the pandemic, combined with staffing shortages, have left many of us feeling drained. As we prepare for spring, we also enter a cycle of renewal and hope.
This is a time to refresh our energies, calm our anxieties and invest in our wellbeing. One potentially powerful intervention is rarely talked about in the workplace: the cultivation of awe and wonder.
Like gratitude and curiosity, awe can leave us feeling inspired and energized. It’s another tool in your toolkit and it’s now attracting increased attention due to more rigorous research.
Beyond physical effects, such as tingling and goosebumps, and a lowered heart rate under stress, awe also affects us emotionally. It allows us to disconnect from the self and tap into something bigger. Renewal inspires creativity, hope and a desire to connect with others.
Where can you find awe and renewal? Here are a few ways:
- Take an awe-seeking walk in a natural landscape.
- Try brain teasers and optical illusions that help shift your perspective.
- Nature videos and music are powerful for stimulating wonder and renewal.
- Good news and stories of hope reinvigorate and inspire.
Do you have an awe-inspiring practice? Share it in the comments below.
For more wellbeing tips, tools and insights, visit Asante Wellness. 
If you need answers for a personal work matter, please contact the author or department directly instead of leaving a comment.
2 Comments. Leave new
Such a good reminder, thanks Jen (and others involved in publication)! I find that looking at past photos of loved ones does this. Especially my children, who have grown so much in the past 13-20 years. Family and friends bring such an AWEsome sense of connection…an easy sense of wonderment and reflection in our minds, even if we don’t have photos of them.
Noticing and reflecting on something in nature every day contributes to my sense of awe and wonder. It also deepens my connection with the earth by feeling grounded and literally supported. With this practice what I have noticed is that what my eyes behold seems brighter; the bark on the tress, the rocks, and everything green, all seem brighter and more illuminated. Maybe its just the astounding peck of a Woodpecker, morning birdsong, a slight wind that mysteriously moves a tall blade of grass…. What do you notice in nature today?