How Awe Slows Time And Supports Well-Being

The science and practice of awe: How it eases anxiety, increases joy, and strengthens our sense of connection to others

Awe is not found in spectacle; it’s found in the stillness that comes after the noise.

I used to chase awe like a destination. I thought awe needed a sunrise over the Grand Canyon, the grandeur of redwood trees, or a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a far-away place. But now I know awe is quieter than that.

Moments of awe arise when we’re not trying to make them happen, when we pause long enough for the wind to remind us it’s been here all along. Or the birds in our backyard to sing their morning songs. Or we take the time to watch the tree tops swaying in the breeze. The birds don’t care about deadlines and spreadsheets. The trees move without asking for permission. And there we are, too. Rooted, aware, folded into the natural order of things.

We can pause, and for a moment, nothing is wrong.

That’s the quiet miracle of awe. It shrinks the “me” and expands the awareness of “we.” We stop being the center of the story and become part of the vast, imperfect, beautiful whole.

A Personal Story of Awe

When I was younger, my motto was: “In pursuit of imperfection.” Not because I wanted messiness for its own sake, but because I needed a way to quiet my “fit it” brain, and I sensed that real beauty doesn’t live in flawlessness. It lives in the cragy bark of an old tree, in the moss-covered roots, in the ache. In what is broken open. In what is becoming. And perfection can keep us from admiring things as they are.

I first met awe researcher Dacher Keltner in 2016 and was immediately struck by the fact that awe, that expansive, often ineffable feeling, was something scientists actually studied. After diving into his early research, I invited him to collaborate on a new kind of mindfulness practice for Mindful magazine, where I was working at the time. Together with the Sierra Club, we created the first virtual Awe Walk through Muir Woods National Monument. Since then, Keltner’s research has continued to explore the transformative power of awe walks, showing that even brief experiences of awe can ease anxiety, increase joy, and strengthen our sense of connection to others. As Keltner puts it:

“Even brief experiences of awe make people more altruistic, less entitled, more humble, aware of the strengths of others, and less stressed by the challenges of daily living. Feeling awe gives us a better sense of how we are part of a larger social collective. It stirs curiosity and seeds scientific thought, all the while bolstering our health and well-being.”

Awe can increase joy, creativity, and connection. And it doesn’t require a mountaintop. Just presence. And a little willingness to be undone by the beauty of imperfection.

The Science of Awe

Awe activates what researchers call the “small self” effect. When you feel awe, your brain shifts from self-focus to outward attention, reducing stress and cultivating empathy and cooperation. This shift has measurable physiological benefits. Here are some of the things they’ve found:

• Awe Increases Well-Being and Connection: A 2020 study led by Keltner and his colleagues at UC Berkeley found that a daily “awe walk,” a short walk taken with the intention of noticing beauty and vastness, led to significant increases in well-being, including greater joy and reduced anxiety. People who take awe walks report feeling more connected to others and less preoccupied with daily stress.
  
• Awe Calms Your Body: It’s not just your mindset that benefits from awe, your biology does, too. A study in Emotion found that people who regularly experienced awe had significantly lower levels of interleukin-6, a key marker of systemic inflammation tied to aging and chronic disease. That means even brief moments of wonder might help quiet the kind of low-grade inflammation that can wear down our bodies over time.
  
• Awe Has a Way of Slowing Time: In the presence of awe, minutes stretch. We slow down, not because the world does, but because we finally catch up to it. A 2012 study in Psychological Science found that when people experienced awe, they felt like they had more time, were less impatient, and were more generous with their attention. Awe, it turns out, doesn’t just change how we feel. It changes how we live in time.

And in a world that often pulls us toward distraction, awe brings us back to the present moment. It helps us zoom out, reset, and remember that we’re part of something larger.

Practice: The 2-Minute Imperfect Awe Pause

You don’t need a grand vista to find awe. You just need a moment to pause. Try this 15-minute Awe Practice from the Greater Good Science Center.

Or, wherever you are, try this simple 2-minute awe rest to tap into wonder:

1. Pause.
   Find a quiet moment in your day, on a walk, by a window, or right before sleep.
   
2. Notice imperfection.
   Look for what’s not polished but still full of life. The weathered texture of a leaf. The chipped edge of a mug. Your own tired eyes in the mirror. See the beauty in the details.
   
3. Zoom out.
   Ask yourself: What part of this connects me to the larger story?
   Let your awareness move from your body to your surroundings. From your breath to the sounds around you. From your thoughts to the feeling of being held in this moment.
   
4. Let it land.
   Breathe. Just be with it. Don’t rush to capture or define. Let awe wash over you like a wave you didn’t expect.
   

Repeat daily. Microdoses of reverence have macro effects on your mood, your biology, and your sense of meaning.