On World Mental Health Day, much of the world witnessed a rare sighting — the Aurora Borealis (or the Northern Lights). If you experienced the Northern Lights firsthand like I did, you probably had an overwhelming sensation of awe and wonder. A fleeting, momentary sense of being connected to everything and everyone. That unexpected and transcendent sensation you felt is similar to what scientists and astronauts call “The Overview Effect,” and it can profoundly influence your mental health and stress for the better.
Astronauts frequently describe feelings of awe and wonder as part of the Overview Effect when they’re out in space and looking down below at Planet Earth. It’s a perception shift that can be sudden, transformative, and lasting. As Rachel Lyons, executive director of the nonprofit Space for Humanity, explained during a TedX talk: “It turns out that when astronauts go to space and look back down at our planet, and see it as a floating, interconnected, fragile ball of life in this infinite universe, it causes a transformation in their mind, a cognitive shift called the Overview Effect.”
If you were skygazing with me, you probably felt some of those big emotions, too.
As I witnessed the Northern Lights dancing in the sky along with millions of other skygazers around the world earlier this week, I was overtaken by the same sudden and unexpected wave of complex emotions associated with the Overview Effect: wonder, awe, connectedness, and belonging. If you were skygazing with me, you probably felt some of those big emotions, too.
As a doctor specializing in stress, burnout, and mental health, I’ve been fascinated with the science of awe and wonder, especially how these emotions influence your brain, health, and well-being. Studies show that awe and wonder help decrease your ruminations about everyday problems and stresses, helping you focus on things outside yourself and feel more connected to others. Early science also suggests a direct relationship between awe and stress. In a series of six different experiments, scientists studied the relationship between awe and stress and found that awe can actively decrease your stress because it puts everyday stresses into perspective and leads to improved well-being.
A shift in perspective is exactly what witnessing the Northern Lights felt like, made especially more poignant because it was World Mental Health Day. You may have missed seeing the Northern Lights, and most of us will never get a chance to go into space, but you can still reap the benefits of the emotions of awe, wonder, and connectedness associated with the Overview Effect through your everyday activities.
Spend a few minutes watching the expanse of a big sky at sunrise or sunset, immerse yourself in a piece of music or art that transports you, walk or hike through a local forest or nearby beach, and if you can’t spend quality time in nature, consider experiencing it digitally through a nature-focused video or an audio recording. Each week, aim to do one thing that cultivates your sense of awe and wonder. These small acts can feel therapeutic to your stressed brain and lead to better mental health, because research shows “awe repairs . . . and transforms your sense of self.” In our current state of the world, which feels so broken and divided, a little repair could go a long way.
Aditi Nerurkar (she/her), MD, is a Harvard stress expert, a television correspondent, and the author of “The 5 Resets.” Before becoming a physician, Dr. Nerurkar was a stressed patient looking for answers. Once she found her way out of stress, she vowed to become the doctor she needed. Named one of the 100 Women to Know in America for 2024, she’s a frequent keynote speaker, with talks at the 2018 Forbes Under 30 Summit and other events. Dr. Nerurkar is a PS Council member.