90 Interesting And Uplifting Posts That Are A Much-Needed Break From Everything Going On (New Pics)

These days, the word “amazing” is used pretty generously. But being truly amazed, according to Merriam-Webster, is to feel or show “great surprise or wonder.” We might experience this sense of surprise, wonder, or admiration when we encounter something that seems extraordinary, remarkable, or beyond what our usual frame of reference has taught us to expect.

As Feelings Wheel explains, amazement can arise in response to “nature, art, human ability, an unexpected act, a discovery, a result, or a complex idea.” It can be prompted by “novelty, excellence, beauty, scale, improbability, generosity, complexity, or a sudden expansion of your expectations.” In other words, something amazing can briefly change what we think is possible—or simply draw our attention to details we hadn’t noticed before.

But amazement isn’t necessarily a straightforwardly positive feeling. As Feelings Wheel notes, it can also be intense, uncertain, or even slightly unsettling. You might admire something while still needing more context, evidence, distance, or time to understand it. After all, feeling amazed doesn’t necessarily mean that something is exactly what it appears to be.

A strong impression and reliable information aren’t the same thing, and our sense of wonder shouldn’t automatically override our critical thinking. Depending on what we learn next, “the feeling may deepen into awe, focus on disbelief as astonishment, or shift into curiosity, excitement, confusion, concern, or another response.” Of all those possible responses, awe may be one of the most powerful.

Awe, Angela Haupt writes for TIME, “is one of those emotions you recognize the instant you feel it.” Maybe it’s when you’re standing in front of a painting you’ve loved since you first learned about it in school. Maybe it’s reaching the summit of a gruelling hike to take in a view that goes on for miles. Maybe it’s viewing the Northern Lights. Or maybe, as Haupt suggests, “All you have to do is look up at a sunset, down at the veins of a leaf, or deep into your morning coffee.”

It’s a pretty appealing suggestion, if you ask me. After all, research suggests that being awestruck may be on the decline. As the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP) explains, “The rise of technology, longer working hours and our indoor lifestyles have all lead [sic] to a sharp decline in mind-blowing experiences for both children and adults.”

And there may be good reason to seek out more of those experiences. As Susan Krauss Whitbourne, PhD, ABPP, writes for Psychology Today, “Being in awe, as rare as this might seem, could be an important contributor to your sense of well-being,” adding that “A dose of awe might be just what some people might need to overcome feelings of being in the doldrums, burned out, or frustrated with the direction of their life.”

And it seems awe may have benefits beyond simply lifting our spirits. Researchers have increasingly linked the emotion with effects on our mental health, relationships, and physical well-being, including less stress and loneliness and greater feelings of generosity and connection.

Tricia Goss, writing for National Geographic, cites several studies suggesting that awe “doesn’t just change how we feel; it changes how our bodies work.” So while a moment of awe might only last a few seconds, its effects may linger considerably longer. And the potential benefits are surprisingly wide-ranging.

Some studies have linked experiencing awe with lower levels of cortisol and inflammation, while brain scans suggest it can quiet activity associated with self-focused thinking and rumination. Spending time in awe-inspiring natural settings may also reduce activity in areas of the brain involved in the stress response.

Perhaps most intriguingly, Goss writes, “Even our sense of time bends under awe.” It might feel more expansive, potentially leaving us less impatient, more generous, and more satisfied with life.

This is where it’s worth remembering that awe isn’t only found in grand, once-in-a-lifetime moments. Haupt cites psychologist Dacher Keltner, author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, who explains that it can come from nature, music, art, human achievement, or acts of extraordinary kindness—but it can also hide in plain sight, “in moments so ordinary they’re easy to miss: the way sunlight filters through trees, the rustle of leaves in the wind, the intricate geometry of a snowflake.”

“You don’t need to go to Burning Man,” Keltner says. You can practice awe in little ways—listening to music, taking in the sky, or pausing to really look into another person’s eyes. In fact, Haupt notes that the person who reported the most awe in one study “wasn’t trekking through Patagonia or chasing eclipses. They were standing in their kitchen, watching milk swirl through a cup of coffee.”

And, as Haupt points out, “screens count, too.” In fact, researchers regularly use short videos to induce awe in laboratory studies, with footage of nature and extraordinary human achievement shown to elicit the feeling.

So perhaps you don’t need to go anywhere special to find a little wonder. Sometimes, you just need to slow down and pay attention—or, perhaps, stumble across something amazing while scrolling.