It sounds a bit woo-woo, sure, but life moves so fast sometimes that we forget to stop and actually notice it.
Awe shouldn’t just be reserved for epic moments like standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon. It’s hiding in ordinary things too, if you know where to look. Making it a daily habit doesn’t mean forcing yourself to feel amazed, either. It’s really more about slowing down enough to let wonder find you. Here are some ways to invite more awe into your everyday life. We’re so lucky to be alive—we should feel it more often.
1. Start your day with a sky check.
Before you dive into emails or chores, take a second to look up. Whether it’s a moody grey morning, a fiery sunrise, or a sky so blue it doesn’t look real, the sky reminds you that every single day starts with something bigger than whatever’s on your to-do list. It’s a simple reset that only takes a minute but shifts you out of your head and into the real world—and sometimes, that’s all it takes to feel a spark of wonder.
2. Notice small details around you.
Awe doesn’t have to be loud. Sometimes it’s in the tiny details—the way light hits a windowsill, the texture of tree bark, the pattern on your coffee foam. Pausing to notice these things gives ordinary moments a little magic. The more you train yourself to look for beauty in the background, the easier it becomes to find little pockets of awe in places you usually rush past without thinking. It’ll feel a bit silly at first, but if you embrace it, you’ll realise how beautiful it is.
3. Let yourself be bad at something just for fun.
Trying new things, even if you’re terrible at them, puts you back into that feeling of being small and amazed by the world. Paint, dance, garden, try a new sport—whatever feels playful and unfamiliar. It’s not about mastering it. It’s about tapping into the wonder kids feel when everything is new. Being bad at something and laughing about it might be one of the purest ways to reconnect with awe.
4. Spend time with animals.
There’s something about watching a dog chase a ball with pure joy or seeing a cat stalk a dust mote that reminds you that life isn’t all spreadsheets and errands. Animals live in the moment, and their simple enthusiasm is contagious. Whether it’s your own pet or a bird you spot outside your window, letting yourself be fascinated by them helps shake off some of the seriousness that weighs down your day.
5. Listen to music that gives you chills.
You know that feeling when a song hits you so hard it gives you goosebumps? That’s awe in action. Build a playlist of songs that lift you, move you, or make you feel tiny in the best way. Music taps into parts of us that words can’t always reach. Letting yourself feel that rush without multitasking or analysing it is a fast track to daily awe.
6. Get up early enough to see the world wake up.
There’s something sacred about those early, quiet hours before the world gets noisy. Watching the sun rise, hearing birds start to sing, feeling the air shift—it’s awe without the crowds or distractions. Even if you’re not a natural morning person, catching those rare still moments every now and then reminds you that life is always moving and renewing itself, whether you’re paying attention or not.
7. Look up facts about something random.
Pick a random topic—stars, deep-sea creatures, ancient architecture—and spend five minutes learning about it. Getting a glimpse of how big, strange, and complex the world really is can spark awe faster than scrolling news headlines ever could. Curiosity keeps your world feeling big instead of claustrophobic. Sometimes a weird fact about jellyfish or black holes is exactly the reminder you need that life is much weirder and cooler than it seems on the surface.
8. Take a different route now and then.
Routine is comforting, but it’s also numbing. Breaking out of your usual patterns, even just by taking a new street home or walking a different way to the shop, wakes up your brain and makes the world feel fresh again. Seeing familiar places from a new angle can shake loose the dullness of daily life and open you up to little moments you would have missed if you stayed on autopilot.
9. Spend a few minutes stargazing.
Even if you live somewhere with light pollution, you can usually spot a few stars on a clear night. Taking a few minutes to just stare up into that vastness reminds you that you’re part of something so much bigger than whatever’s stressing you out right now. It’s humbling in the best way, like hitting a giant cosmic pause button for your brain.
10. Watch something grow.
Source: Unsplash Plant a flower, start a tiny herb garden, or even just pay attention to a tree outside your window as the seasons change. Watching life slowly unfold gives you front-row seats to something ancient and awe-inspiring. Growth is so slow we usually miss it, but when you stop and really watch, you realise how miraculous even the most ordinary plants can be.
11. Pay attention to the kindness of strangers.
It’s easy to get cynical, but if you really look, small acts of kindness are happening all the time—someone holding a door, picking up something someone dropped, offering a smile at the right moment. Noticing those moments reminds you that awe doesn’t always come from mountains and sunsets. Sometimes it comes from simple human goodness showing up when you least expect it.
12. Let wonder interrupt your day.
When something catches your eye—a bird, a weird cloud formation, a stunning piece of music drifting out of a shop—don’t rush past it. Let yourself stop. Let it pull you out of your head, even if just for a minute. You don’t have to manufacture awe. You just have to slow down enough to let it tap you on the shoulder. The more you allow those tiny interruptions, the more wonder finds its way into your everyday life.
