#Dispatch 001: awe-inspired

Feeling awe can improve mental health, happiness and boost productivity. Here’s how to cultivate it.

I am walking my young daughter home after a ‘long day’ at school and she has just moaned, “my legs are tired”. “Look”, I say, “the sky is such a beautiful colour”, she looks up, smiles and then starts to skip ahead, her aches forgotten.

Image by Mees Groothius from Pixabay.

In Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv writes about this phenomena - nature creating feelings of awe and wonder that improves mental health and resilience.

💻 These benefits of awe are much needed in the world of work too.

While doing research for my white paper on the future of work, I uncovered the alarming insights that almost two thirds of people are not happy at work, and 57% of the workforce considers their mental health to be ‘low’ or ‘so-so’.

Of course the negative impacts of this are huge. The Centre for Mental Health reports that:

“Mental health problems in the UK workforce cost employers almost £35 billion."

😀 A happy and healthy workforce results in lower levels of staff absence, lower staff turnover, as well as increased creativity.

This is according to government founded organisation Investors in People, which exists to make work better.

My research shows that people who are happy are 4x as likely to be motivated at work compared to those who are not happy. They are also twice as likely to be focused and they are more productive too.

🌎 Awe can improve mindset by shifting focus away from the self.

This is according to psychologist Dacher Keltner, who says it stimulates a sense of connection to something larger than self, reducing stress, increasing generosity and boosting satisfaction.

Recent research also shows it alleviates loneliness.

😍 There are a myriad of ways to experience awe.

Keltner advocates spending even a few minutes at a time placing their attention outwards, for example being inspired by the actions of others, listening closely to music or watching a short clip of incredible footage of nature.

Claire Fitsimmons, co-founder of mental wellbeing company If Lost Start Here recommends visiting museums “to bring us back to the world. They fuel our sense of wonder and get us moving again”.

Group singing is also awe-generating, and it makes participants feel like they are part of a community (the benefits of which are well-documented).

This is something the Danes, reportedly one of the happiest populations in the world, are on to.

“You feel small and insignificant, but also not alone and as though you belong. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Danish choirmaster, Phillip Faber on the joy of group singing. Excerpt from the new book by Helen Russell, expert in the culture of Denmark.

💡Case studies💡

👣 Awe Walks - Students at San Domenico School in California are finding wonder, peace and inspiration in nature to be antidotes to anxiety and depression brought on by fast-paced lives.

🎶The melodic caring project live streams concerts to patients in hospitals and homes around the world, bringing hope and connection to those battling illness and isolation.

🎨Deutsche Bank has an extensive collection of artwork displayed around its offices across the globe which has been shown to lower stress and increase wellbeing and productivity.

🎤 Channel 4 regularly invite talent from their shows to inspire and unite staff members through talks at internal events.

🍴Food for thought 🧠

❓What will you do to gain perspective through regular moments of awe?

❓What can you do to encourage feelings of awe in the people around you?