The Awe of a Child
Do you remember the holiday season as a child? Can you recall the anticipation and excitement of what Santa might bring you? Or better yet, if you have children in your life now, can you feel their excitement for the upcoming holidays? My guess is that this excitement is so strong that you can even feel it virtually. The word that comes to mind when I think of my childhood holiday experiences is the word “awe”.
Awe is a positive emotion triggered by awareness of something vastly larger than you and not immediately understandable. Based on this description, it is easy to see how children experience Christmas and the holidays in awe. Maybe you asked questions as a child that reflected those feelings such as, “how does Santa know where I live?” or “how do reindeer fly?”.
So how do we get those feelings of awe back, especially when so many of us are having a hard time getting excited about the holidays this year? A study published in September 2020 may provide some direction for what we can do. In this study, both the control group and the “awe” group were instructed to take a 15-minute walk once a week for eight weeks. The important differentiation between the groups was that the “awe” group were given instructions to focus their attention on feelings of awe during their walks, and the other group were simply instructed to take a walk. The results indicated that adults who took weekly, 15-minute “awe walks” for eight weeks reported greater joy, positive feelings about others, and a lower level of distress as compared to the control group. The researcher concluded that focusing your attention on experiencing “awe” can foster social connections and reduce negative feelings.
If you are having difficulty getting into the holiday spirit, here are a few simple things you can do:
Reflect on your childhood experiences. Take a few moments to visualize your favorite holiday experiences. Ask yourself, why are these memories so special to you? Then consider how you can bring those experiences into your adult life. Here are a couple of ideas:
If you are fortunate to have children in your life, find a way to re-experience those memories with them.
Find a way to provide some of these experiences for children who may not have the opportunity to experience this. Perhaps, you can go to one of your local non-profits and shop for a child in need.
Consider what experiences bring feelings of awe. What brings about feelings of awe is different for everyone. Take a moment a consider what situations bring about feelings of being connected to something larger than yourself that may not be easily explained or understood. Here are a few ideas to help you reflect on what triggers these feelings for you.
Nature. It might be experiencing nature with all of your senses, such as looking at the ocean or a lake. For me, it is standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Spirituality. For many people, reading inspiring messages, prayer, or reflection brings a sense of being part of something greater than themselves.
Art. Perhaps for you it is looking at art, such as visiting a museum. Today, of course, you can go to many of the great museums around the world virtually.
Music. Many find that there are certain pieces of music that inspire them. Perhaps playing your favorite holiday music may be just what you need to experience feelings of awe.
Instead of depriving yourself of the opportunity to experience all of this season’s positive emotions, be proactive in sparking these feelings in yourself. It might be something as simple as turning your attention outward instead of inward. If you don’t know how to start, consider replicating the study by taking a 15-minute walk while focusing your attention outward. Here are two practices that might also help you on your journey to experience awe.
Reference
Sturm, V. E., Datta, S., Roy, A. R. K., Sible, I. J., Kosik, E. L., Veziris, C. R., Chow, T. E., Morris, N. A., Neuhaus, J., Kramer, J. H., Miller, B. L., Holley, S. R., & Keltner, D. (2020). Big smile, small self: Awe walks promote prosocial positive emotions in older adults. Emotion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000876