[00:00:06] This is the Balanced Leader Podcast, the podcast that helps leaders elevate their wellbeing and create healthy workplaces. My name is Rob Hills and I’m your leadership and wellbeing coach. 

When was the last time you experienced awe? Was it five minutes ago? Five days ago? Or even five years ago. What was it that you were doing at the time?

[00:00:27] And how did it make you feel? I mean, really feel? Or is the feeling you get when you witness something vast, extraordinary, or beyond your current understanding? It’s that moment when you stand at the top of a mountain range, or watch a stunning sunset, or learn about the immensity of the universe. It’s a complex emotion that combines wonder, reverence, and a touch of fear or uncertainty.

[00:00:54] But awe isn’t limited to grand natural wonders or cosmic revelations. It can actually be found in everyday moments too, in acts of human kindness, in the intricate details of a flower, or even a small child playing. I love the feeling of awe. For me, it’s a feeling of connectedness, And being part of something bigger than myself, I may feel speechless or even get goosebumps.

[00:01:20] Whether it’s walking through nature, listening to a great piece of music, or watching an amazing sunset. It’s funny, in my house we have a window that faces the west and it overlooks a large mountain range. If one of my family members sees an amazing sunset, it is their duty to call every other member of the house up to take a look at the view.

[00:01:41] You have to have a pretty bloody good excuse not to drop whatever it is you’re doing and come and look at the amazing sunset. And for a couple of moments, we just stand there, together, and we watch in awe at the amazing colours that light up the sky. I want to experience awe more often, and I want that for you too.

[00:02:01] I think as busy people, we often forget to slow down and make space for awe. And if we really appreciated how easy it was to experience awe, wouldn’t we want to make time for it every day? So what I’m hoping to do with this episode is outline the benefits, but also give you practical strategies so you can experience more awe in your life.

[00:02:22] If this sounds like you, And after listening to this podcast, I’m hoping it’ll be you. You have to consciously make the choice to do it. We can all do it. We just have to make the time and get our heads out of our phones. You can experience awe every day. It’s often found in the ordinary or the unique.

[00:02:40] It’s looking at things with a fresh perspective, but it does require practice. So one of my main tips today is to make awe a habit that you do regularly. As Albert Einstein said, “There are two ways to look at life. You can live as if nothing is a miracle, or you can live as if everything is a miracle. The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead. His eyes are closed.”

In recent years, scientists have been increasingly interested in studying awe, and what they found is fascinating.

[00:03:22] Experiences of awe have been shown to have a profound effect on our brains and our bodies. When we experience awe, our brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, and this can create a natural high, which leaves us feeling energized and positive for hours or even days.

[00:03:43] But it goes just beyond feeling good as well. Awe can also contribute to our overall well being. So let’s look at five ways in which awe can do that. The first one is perspective shift. In our day to day lives, it’s easy to get caught up in our personal concerns and stresses. Awe has a unique ability to lift us out of this self focus.

[00:04:02] When we experience awe, our problems often seem smaller in comparison to the vastness or the beauty that we’re witnessing. Number two is connection. Awe helps us feel connected to something larger than ourselves. This could be nature, Humanity as a whole, or even the universe. This sense of connection combats feelings of loneliness and isolation, which unfortunately are major contributors to our mental health crisis.

[00:04:26] Number three is inspiration and motivation. Experiencing awe can be deeply inspiring. It can motivate us to learn, to explore, or even to create. It fuels our curiosity, and it drives us to understand more about our world, and our place in it. Number four is improved physical health. Experiences of awe have been linked to improvements in our physical health.

[00:04:49] It’s associated with reduced sympathetic arousal, so less fight or flight, increased oxytocin release, which is affectionately known as the cuddle hormone, and reduced inflammation. And lastly, people who experience awe more frequently Report higher levels of overall life satisfaction. Now, let’s talk about why, as leaders, we should be particularly interested in cultivating awe, both for ourselves and for those that we lead.

[00:05:14] Surely awe is something we should be reserving for outside of office hours, right? In leadership roles, we’re often called upon to solve complex problems and come up with innovative solutions. Awe has been shown to enhance creative thinking by breaking us out of rigid thought patterns. By cultivating awe, we can boost our creative problem solving abilities.

[00:05:35] Leaders who experience more awe tend to be more empathetic and more likely to engage in pro social behavior. This can lead to better relationship with team members, improve company culture, and more ethical decision making. Leadership roles often come with a high level of stress. Regular experiences of awe can help combat this, leading to better mental health and reduced burnout.

[00:05:58] And when we share awe inspiring experiences with our teams, it can create a sense of shared purpose and connection, and this can significantly boost team cohesion and motivation. So, how do we, as leaders, cultivate more awe in our lives and our organizations? Here are some practical strategies. Number one.

[00:06:19] Seek out nature. This one is my favorite, and something that always inspires awe in my life. We need to make time to immerse ourselves in nature regularly. It doesn’t have to be long hikes in nature. It could be as simple as taking a walk around the block. But this is something that you can do every day.

[00:06:37] Number two is learn something new. Dedicate time to learning about topics that inspire wonder within you. Whether it’s astronomy, quantum physics, or the complexities of the human brain. Learning something new opens us up to a world of possibilities we may never have thought possible. Number three is practice mindfulness.

[00:06:56] Yes, mindfulness again. If you’re a long time listener, you’re probably sick of hearing me bang on about mindfulness, but it certainly holds true in cultivating awe. It helps us notice the aspects of everyday moments that if we just look a little bit closer, they may surprise us. Number four is incorporate Awe into your organizational culture.

[00:07:15] Create opportunities for your team to experience Awe together. This can be through organized team activities, could be chatting about something you did on the weekend that sparked Awe, or it could be going for a walk around the block together and just being inspired by your environment. Awe is not just a nice to have emotion.

[00:07:32] It’s a powerful tool for enhancing our well being, Creativity and our leadership abilities by consciously cultivating more or in our lives and in our organizations, we can become more effective leaders, create more inspiring work environments, and ultimately hopefully lead more fulfilling lives. So I challenge you after this podcast, go out and seek an awe inspiring experience.

[00:07:56] It could be as simple as really noticing something beautiful in nature or as involved as planning a trip to a place you’ve always dreamed of visiting, whatever it is. Embrace that feeling of awe and notice how it impacts your perspective and your well being. And don’t leave this to chance. Make it a habit.

[00:08:13] You can’t do it once and expect your life to change dramatically. I won’t walk past a magnificent sunset without calling the rest of my family to come and look. I won’t go for a walk in nature without stopping for at least 10 to 15 seconds and just opening up to the experience of awe. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s episode.

[00:08:32] Get out there and really enjoy the rest of your day and I’ll speak to you next time.