Most of us know what it feels like to be in awe — whether it's watching a sunset, holding your baby for the first time, or experiencing a powerful spiritual moment. Awe is that feeling of wonder or amazement when something seems bigger than us. But it is not always easy to describe.
"Awe is an emotion we feel when we experience something vast or beyond our usual understanding," explained Javier E. López, professor of cardiovascular medicine at UC Davis Health and senior author of a new study about awe and lingering effects of COVID. "People often think awe only comes from big life events, but it can also be found in everyday moments."
"Awe is an emotion we feel when we experience something vast or beyond our usual understanding."-Javier E. López
Research has shown that feeling awe can be good for your health and mental well-being. To build on that, a group of researchers, including López, studied how awe might help people struggling with long COVID. This was the first study of its kind, and the results were published in the journal Nature: Scientific Reports.
"This study is the most robust to date to document the clear health benefits of experiences of awe, of feeling in the presence of what is vast and mysterious," said Dacher Keltner, distinguished professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and co-author of the study. Keltner is one of the leading scientists on awe in the United States. "It suggests to the world of health care that we need to integrate the many wonders that bring us awe — nature, music, visual art, stories of moral beauty — into the systemic care of minds and bodies."
Long COVID and mental health
Around 20 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with long COVID. This condition can cause a wide range of symptoms, including tiredness, brain fog, dizziness, stomach problems, heart issues, changes in smell or taste, and chest pain.
The U.S. government has warned that long COVID can also seriously affect mental health. People with long COVID may feel anxious or depressed due to the illness itself, being socially isolated, losing income, or dealing with grief.
"Many long COVID patients continue to experience depression and anxiety for months, sometimes more than a year, after getting sick," said López. "There's a real need to find ways to improve their mental health."
What the study found
The study included 68 people who met the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) definition of long COVID. They were randomly split into two groups. One group was asked to find activities meant to create feelings of awe — like watching inspiring videos or taking walks in nature. The other group was asked to do just go about their day as usual.
Before and after the study, researchers measured each person's levels of depression, anxiety, stress and overall well-being.
Here's what they found:
- People who participated in awe activities had less depression than those in the control group
- The awe group reported feeling less stressed and enjoyed increased levels of well-being than those in the control group
- There were no significant differences between the awe and control group in reports of anxiety
Researchers believe these results suggest that simple awe-based activities could be a new, low-cost way to support mental health. Additionally, it opens the door for more research to understand how awe works and how it might help with other mental health issues.
"This work suggests that finding brief moments of awe in daily life can improve mental health," shared Maria Monroy, postdoctoral associate of psychology at Yale University and co-author of the study. "We should all take a moment during the day — in the morning, during our lunch break, or at any time — and find ourselves some awe."
Additional co-authors of the study include Michael Amster, Jake Eagle and Felicia K. Zerwas.
