You may have read the article on the BBC website recently about the importance of the golden hours of sunrise and sunsets on your wellbeing.
It reminded us that “When we get stuck in negative thought loops, awe-inspiring events like sunsets can demand our attention, breaking the loop and bringing us back to the present.”
Being an active observer of these natural events can help us reduce our anxiety, as well as depression, boost our memory, creativity, and have a positive benefit on our sleep. When we stop to wonder at something that can make us lost for words or that takes our breath away, it changes us both mentally and physically.
Being part of an awe-some event helps move our minds by offering a different perspective in that moment. When we get bogged down with everyday life, and get caught up in internal negative chatter, we can get stuck in a loop. We’ve all had situations where we keep coming back to the same fears, issues, past and future conversations, that invariably has a plot that is dark and even depressive.
By experiencing more awe our bodies, we can feel less stressed, and one research found that it improved the levels of inflammation in the body and improved sleep quality.
Being a busy mum and business owner, I can sometimes feel I don’t have enough time in the day to set my alarm any earlier to catch a sunrise (in East Lothian that would be around 4.45 in the morning – no thank you!) or remember to look out for a sunset (about 9.45 pm).
However, what I do have time is to catch moments of awe throughout my day. As a coach, I work with clients on setting a clear intention. An intention is something that we aim for, focus on, and also hold lightly so that we don’t beat ourselves up if we forget to do it. By setting an intention to look out for moments, situations that make us smile deeply, or encourage us to take a pause, and makes us feel all gooey inside, is something we can all do and without having to set an early morning clock for.
We may think we don’t have any awe-inspiring moments in our life, but chances are, if you stopped and looked there is more than you realise. For instance: catching the scent of honey suckle, seeing the first smile from your child / grandchild, watching your dog having it’s mad-half hour, tasting your favourite meal cooked by someone special, watching someone you care for open a present, or receive an award, or get married.
You get the picture; it’s about mentally capturing these wonderful memories into our conscious mind. Dr William Bloom talked about The Endorphin Effect, where remembering people, places, pets, and peak moments release natural healing endorphins into our body that make us feel calm and inwardly happy. When we remember these treasured awe-inspiring moments, we trigger a natural reaction in our body. We may not always have to have an awe-some filled day, but we can remind ourselves about the times that we did, which has the same impact as actually having one.
So as you start your day, look out for things that will make your heart sing, inwardly smile and feel good, or take a moment to remember someone, something, or somewhere that did.
Have an awe-some day!