Embracing Awe: The Surprising Connection Between Wonder and Cardiac Wellbeing

I’m not sure about you, does your heart attack or heart surgery consume your life?

Is your heart health at the centre of everything that you do or think?

If the impact of your heart surgery, heart attack or cardiac arrest has affected your mental and emotional health then you will be interested in how experiencing awe can be beneficial to you. You may be spending much of your time with narrow focus so I would like to share with you how you can move your thoughts into an expansive frame and experience the benefits of the emotion called Awe.

Awe is an emotion characterised by a sense of reverence or wonder in response to something perceived as vast or great. It has been shown to have several potential health benefits, including:

• Improved emotional well-being
• Increased empathy and social connection
• Improved cognitive function
• Better physical health

Overall, awe has been shown to have a positive impact on both psychological and physical health, making it an important aspect of well-being. So, let’s dig a bit deeper into the benefits, then I will share with you what awe can feel like and how you can achieve it in your life.

Improving your emotional well-being:

It increases happiness. Awe has been found to increase positive emotions such as joy, contentment, and happiness. This is because it shifts our focus from ourselves to something greater, which can lead to a feeling of awe and perspective. Moving our focus from our health condition to something equally breath taking (excuse the poor pun) can serve us to move to acceptance.

The feeling of awe reduces stress. It has been found to lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone, which can lead to reduced stress and improved emotional regulation. We are all aware that this is a risk factor that we need to reduce and keep in check.

Awe has also been shown to improve overall mood, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and promoting a greater sense of well-being.

Experiencing awe has also been found to increase life satisfaction and a greater sense of purpose, which can lead to a more fulfilling life. After my heart attack I felt like I had no purpose and my life was empty, I wish I had known what I know now.

Increased empathy and the intent to help other people

Awe has been found to increase feelings of compassion, which can lead to a greater desire to help others and engage in social behaviour. After being in lockdown I am sure we are all aware of how much we need social interaction.

I mentioned this earlier, it can shift our focus from ourselves to something greater, which can reduce self-centred thoughts and increase feelings of connectedness to others.

Have your relationships become difficult? Awe can also enhance both romantic and family or friend relationships by increasing feelings of empathy and compassion, leading to greater connectedness and better communication.

Improving cognitive function

After discharge from hospital, I had trouble focussing, remembering names of people and things, I couldn’t think clearly and had a very bad memory. If you have had heart surgery and are living with pump head you will find these next benefits interesting and useful.

Experiencing awe has been shown to enhance attention and focus, as it can capture our attention and hold it for longer periods of time. By finding awe in life regularly you begin to retrain your brain.

Awe has been found to stimulate creative thinking and improve problem-solving skills, as it can broaden your perspective and help you see new connections and solutions.

Studies have also found that awe can enhance memory by promoting a greater sense of vividness and recall of experiences as the impact is so meaningful for you.

It has been shown that Awe can increase mental flexibility and broaden our perspective, which can improve decision-making and critical thinking skills.

Better physical health

Now this is what surprised me when I was doing my research. I knew there were mental and emotional benefits but didn’t think awe could have such an impact on physical health especially not cardiac health.

Sleep is a fundamental need and many of you have difficulties with sleep after surgery or a heart attack. Our mind and body need sleep just as much as air, and good quality sleep at that. During sleep your body heals and your mind rejuvenates ready for another day. Awe has been found to enhance sleep quality and reduce sleep disturbances, as it can help regulate emotions and promote feelings of calm.

Studies have found that awe can reduce inflammation, which is a key factor in many chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.

Experiencing awe has also been found to lower blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Need I say more!

What does feeling awe feel like?

As I mentioned earlier feeling awe is considered as a sense of wonder, amazement, and reverence. I often have goosebumps when I feel in awe of something. It is often described as feeling small and insignificant in the face of something greater than oneself. Awe can be triggered by a variety of experiences, such as encountering natural beauty, witnessing acts of kindness or heroism, or contemplating the vastness of the universe.

Physiologically, awe is associated with increased feelings of excitement and pleasure, as well as decreased feelings of stress and anxiety. It is often accompanied by a sense of elevated mood, a feeling of being in the moment, and a heightened sense of connection to others and the world around us.

In general, feeling awe can evoke a sense of transcendence, as it shifts our focus away from ourselves and towards something greater, leading to a feeling of awe and perspective.

Awe can be achieved through several methods, including:

• Exposure to nature: Spending time in natural environments, such as parks, forests, or the beach, can evoke feelings of awe and wonder. Even natural catastrophes can fill you with awe when watching and seeing the magnitude.
• Artistic experiences: Engaging with art, music, or other forms of creative expression can evoke feelings of awe and wonder.
• Personal growth: Pursuing personal growth through learning, self-discovery, and new experiences can evoke feelings of awe and wonder.
• Contemplation: Reflecting on philosophical or spiritual questions and contemplating the mysteries of life can evoke feelings of awe.
• Altruistic acts: Engaging in selfless acts, such as volunteering or helping others, can evoke feelings of awe and wonder.
• Connecting with others: Building strong connections with others through shared experiences, conversations, and intimacy can evoke feelings of awe and wonder.

What I suggest you do to get a regular dose of awe?

If like me you have built in taking a daily walk part of your exercise routine, then let’s make this magic. You can start by making your cardiac walking more awesome!

When you are out and about start noticing the world you live in. Look around you and contemplate how amazing everything is. Notice nature, plants, trees, animals, buildings, vehicles, your surroundings, the sky, the clouds, the stars, the universe the solar system.

Take a few moments in your day to stop and take a few breaths and be in awe!

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