Wonder and Awe as Performance Tools

When people describe the most powerful moments of their lives, they rarely talk about deadlines, training metrics, or daily routines. Instead, they recall standing at the edge of a vast canyon, hearing a stadium roar in unison, or being moved to stillness by music.

These experiences carry a common thread: awe.

Awe is often dismissed as poetic or abstract, but science is uncovering that it is far more than a fleeting emotion. It is a psychophysical state that reshapes biology, broadens perspective, and recalibrates the nervous system. For high performers, awe may be one of the most overlooked tools for recovery, focus, and resilience.

Awe and the Nervous System Reset

At its core, awe changes how the body interprets the world. When faced with something vast or extraordinary, the sympathetic nervous system (our fight-or-flight engine) steps back. Heart rate slows, breathing deepens, and the parasympathetic system steps forward, allowing the body to recover. It is the opposite of the physiological tightening that comes with stress.

Studies show that even brief experiences of awe lower circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This is remarkable, as inflammation is a known pathway to fatigue, impaired recovery, and chronic illness. Awe measurably serves as a biological intervention, signaling safety and connection in place of vigilance and stress.

This explains why “being wonderstruck” often feels like a release. The body interprets vastness, whether of nature, sound, or human achievement, not as a threat but as a reminder of perspective, and in that reminder, the nervous system relaxes.

Cognitive Expansion Through Wonder

The impacts don’t end with the body. Awe also reshapes cognition. When we have these kinds of experiences, brain activity shifts in regions linked to attention and self-referential processing (i.e. we stop thinking about ourselves and our stress and think about the bigger picture) The default mode network, often associated with rumination, quiets. In its place, networks tied to external focus and creativity come online.

This shift explains why being in a state of wonder and amazement makes people feel more open, curious, and creative. Cognition moves from a narrow loop, where it’s concerned with the self and immediate stressors, toward a wider frame that can integrate new information. For athletes, this might mean seeing competition as part of a larger narrative rather than a single moment of pressure. For professionals, it might spark innovative thinking when routines feel stale.

The feeling of smallness that often comes with awe is not disempowering; it’s liberating. By stepping outside the constant self-focus, the brain gains space to think differently and more expansively.

Awe as a Social Bonding Agent

Awe recalibrates us as individuals while also strengthening the collective. When people share awe, whether through live music, religious rituals, or team victories, their physiology synchronizes. Breathing rhythms align, emotional states converge, and feelings of belonging intensify.

Research shows that awe is one of the few emotions that reliably diminishes self-centeredness while enhancing prosocial behavior. People report being more generous, more connected, and more willing to cooperate after experiencing awe. These aren’t just psychological shifts—they are rooted in measurable hormonal changes, including increased oxytocin, the neurochemical associated with trust and connection.

For teams, whether athletic or organizational, awe can serve as a hidden driver of cohesion. Shared wonder builds more than memories; it builds biology that sustains cooperation under stress.

The Subtle Physiology of Perspective

One of wonder’s most intriguing qualities is its relationship to time perception. When we experience awe, our sense of time expands. Moments feel longer, more spacious, and less hurried. This subjective shift has tangible physiological effects.

Time expansion reduces the cortisol spikes associated with urgency. Instead of interpreting tasks as rushed or threatening, the nervous system interprets them as more manageable. Performance benefits indirectly, not by speeding up the body, but by slowing down the sense of overwhelm.

This is why awe can feel restorative even when it doesn’t involve physical rest. A few minutes of staring at a night sky or watching a performance can feel like a reprieve from the compression of modern life. By altering time perception, awe alters biology.

Actionable Wonder

Unlike caffeine or adrenaline, awe doesn’t need to be manufactured. It is freely available, yet often overlooked. Even simple practices like short “awe walks” in natural or urban environments can increase daily experiences of wonder and improve markers of well-being.

The key is intentionality. Awe is less about grand events and more about attention. By deliberately seeking out the extraordinary in the ordinary, such as how the clouds look and are formed, impressive architecture, and music, we can engage the same physiological reset as they would standing at the edge of a massive canyon. One scientifically supported practice is dedicating 10–15 minutes per week to a walk specifically framed as a “search for awe.” Yes, maybe you’re calling bs at this point, but it really does work. Participants in such studies consistently report lower stress and higher life satisfaction.

While awe cannot be forced, it can be invited, and when invited regularly, it becomes less a rare emotional peak and more a rhythm of recovery.

Wonder and Awe as a Tool

Awe is a hidden tool for sustaining performance, not a distraction from it. By calming the nervous system, broadening cognition, strengthening social bonds, and altering time perception, awe and wonder provide a set of physiological advantages that no stimulant or strategy can match.

In a world obsessed with optimization, awe offers something quite different. It doesn’t push harder or extend output. It expands the container in which effort exists. It reminds the body and mind that performance is not just about control but also about wonder.

For athletes, leaders, and anyone navigating modern demands, this is more than inspiration. It is biology in action and proof that sometimes, the most powerful tool for performance is simply the ability to stop, look up, and feel small.

References

1. Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A. M., Piff, P. K., et al. (2015). Awe and humility: Psychological and physiological benefits. Emotion, 15(2), 129–143.

2. Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Chen, S., et al. (2017). Awe, the diminished self, and collective engagement: Universals and cultural variations in the small self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(2), 185–209.

3. Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., & Mossman, A. (2007). The nature of awe: Elicitors, appraisals, and effects on self-concept. Cognition and Emotion, 21(5), 944–963.

4. Chirico, A., & Yaden, D. B. (2018). Awe: A self-transcendent and sometimes transformative emotion. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 550.

5. Keltner, D., & Haidt, J. (2003). Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 17(2), 297–314.