Awe isn’t reserved for breathtaking landscapes or once-in-a-lifetime moments. By learning to slow down and pay closer attention, the everyday can become a source of wonder
When I think of ‘awe’ in its simplest form, I think of the children’s TV show Bluey. At the close of the season three episode ‘Born Yesterday’, the dad, Bandit, encouraged by his two pups, studies a leaf. He zooms in, the sunlight framing its shape and colour. He goes closer, examining its veins and contours and, as if seeing it for the very first time, gasps: “Alive.”
While Bluey is very much a kids’ TV show, this episode acts as a reminder to us all that the opportunity for awe exists in every facet of our lives – not just in the realms of giant mountains or great works of art.
This aligns with clinical psychologist Dr Tracy King’s view of awe: “Awe is often described as the feeling we get in the presence of something vast, but in real life, it is usually smaller and more physical than that. It is the moment something makes you stop and look again. “Your mind goes quiet; your breathing changes. Something you would normally rush past suddenly feels vivid and more interesting than you first realised.”
In his critically acclaimed book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, Dacher Keltner, a leading researcher of awe, wrote: “Because we have a basic need for awe wired into our brains and bodies, finding awe is easy if we just take a moment and wonder.”
So, what can we do in our day-to-day lives to help cultivate a practice of awe?
1. Prime the body for awe
Dr King believes awe is more of a body state than a mindset. She says: “When we are stressed or overwhelmed, our attention narrows – we focus on what is urgent, what needs to be done or what might go wrong. Finding awe requires a wider field of vision.”
This makes sense. If we are feeling rushed or anxious, worrying about the future, it is almost impossible to observe the scale of a tree or the subtle scent of a flower.
Once you notice what your state is, Dr King suggests doing something small to help shift your body. This might be noticing and adjusting your posture, stretching, breathwork, or stepping outside.
2. Reduce overstimulation
“Many of us live inside a dopamine culture,” says Dr King, “where we are used to speed, novelty, and constant stimulation, making it hard to notice what is subtle, slow, or ordinary.”
By engaging in other slower practices, we can begin to develop a state that is much more receptive to awe.
She suggests activities such as yoga, meditation, and journaling to support present-moment awareness, as well as creative practices including photography, drawing, gardening, and cooking. The goal is to practise looking more closely and becoming aware of what otherwise passes us by.
3. Look to people
Much of our daily life is centred around the people we meet. When Dacher Keltner gathered stories from people across 26 countries, he discovered that what most commonly led people to feel awe was other people’s courage and kindness. He defined this as ‘moral beauty’.
Moral beauty might exist in the generosity of a stranger or the valour of a fictional character; either way, it’s about noticing the goodness in others. Could you pay closer attention to a small act of kindness from a co-worker or friend? In the absence of real-life scenarios, we can look to literature, film, and the news for examples of the goodness that compels us to feel a sense of awe.
3. Create openings in your routine
Much of our routine is carried out on autopilot, leaving little room for awe. But as Dr King suggests: “Awe begins when we let one ordinary thing become more than its function.”
She uses eating meals as an example of an ordinary moment ripe for observation. When we’re on autopilot, a plate of food is, well, just that; a plate of food. But when marvelled at in closer detail, it symbolises a whole chain of life: the soil, the weather, the people who grew it, packed it, and cooked it.
Similar moments can be found when watering your houseplants, brushing your teeth, or getting on the train. When you’re listening to music, try to follow one instrument to hear the layers that form the composition. It becomes much more than just a song but a culmination of skill and feeling.
4. Explore
“Pick one ordinary thing and give it your full attention. Then ask a question that helps you to see the bigger picture,” explains Dr King.
Perhaps you’re taking the same walk from your car to your office you’ve taken for years; ask yourself: what is new here? What am I missing? What connects this moment to something bigger than me?
Notice if anything shifts. “Maybe you stop rushing for a moment; maybe you exhale for slightly longer; maybe you feel a flutter of surprise. That is often what awe feels like in ordinary life.”
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