The Healing Power of Awe: A Tool for Nervous System Regulation and Burnout Recovery

Burnout is often described as a state of emotional exhaustion, but for neurodivergent people—especially those who are autistic, ADHD, or both (AuDHD)—burnout is also deeply physical. The nervous system becomes overloaded by persistent masking, sensory overwhelm, and chronic stress without enough recovery time. While strategies like deep rest and recharge, improved boundaries, and regular sensory regulation are essential, there is another underutilized tool worth exploring—awe.

A moment of awe on a trail in Germany.

Why Awe Matters

Awe is the feeling we get when encountering something vast, beautiful, or beyond our ordinary frame of reference—whether it’s a starry sky, breathtaking music, or even a profound human moment. Research shows awe is not just pleasant; it’s physiologically regulating. And many of those with neurodivergent nervous systems have the ability to process awe very deeply, intensifying the benefits even more. It's science-backed as well:

• People who experience awe more frequently have up to one-third lower levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a marker of inflammation linked to chronic stress and disease (Stellar et al., 2015).

• Just 15 minutes of weekly “awe walks” for 8 weeks boosted joy and compassion and reduced distress in older adults (Sturm et al., 2020).

• Awe experiences decrease rumination and repetitive negative thinking, supporting resilience (Shiota et al., 2007; Wong et al., 2020).

• Awe fosters prosocial behavior, generosity, and a sense of belonging, which buffer against the isolating effects of burnout (Bai et al., 2017).

On a nervous system level, awe appears to quiet the brain’s default mode network (the self-focused part often active during worry and overthinking), while stimulating parasympathetic pathways that calm the stress response (Wong et al., 2020). This makes awe a natural reset button for an overtaxed nervous system.

Awe and Reconnection with Self

One of burnout’s cruelest effects is the way it erodes our sense of self. We become task-driven, disconnected from joy, and overwhelmed by survival demands. Awe offers an antidote by helping us feel small in a safe way—reminding us that we are part of something larger. This shift in perspective creates space for curiosity, wonder, and even play, all of which are vital for neurodivergent well-being.

Eight Simple Ways to Access Awe

Here are practical, everyday ways to weave awe into your life as part of burnout prevention or recovery:

1. Take an "Awe Walk"

   1. Spend 10–15 minutes walking slowly outdoors. Look for what surprises you—the pattern of leaves, the sky, or the scale of a tree.

2. Look Up

   1. Simply pause to gaze at the sky, tall buildings, or stars. Vastness is a direct doorway to awe.

3. Listen Differently

   1. Play music that gives you chills or goosebumps. Let your body notice the resonance.

4. Recall an "Awe Memory"

   1. Journal or voice-record about a time you felt wonder (e.g., at a concert, in nature, with loved ones). Reliving awe has measurable effects. Photos from beautiful places can be a great reminder of "awe memories."

5. Micro-Moments of Awe

   1. Notice small details—light through a window, the fractal of a flower, the colors of a fruit slice; the vibrant green of a tree. Awe doesn’t need to be grand.

6. Awe in Community

   1. Attend events that spark collective awe (concerts, stargazing, spiritual gatherings). Shared awe amplifies connection.

7. Awe Through Learning

   1. Watch documentaries about space, oceans, or natural wonders. Discovering vastness through knowledge can evoke awe.

   2. Be Creative - learn a new instrument, how to paint, pottery, or just make a collage with everyday materials around the house.

8. Create Awe Rituals

   1. Build tiny pauses into your routine—like stepping outside at dusk or beginning the day with a favorite poem—to intentionally seek wonder.

      
      

Final Thoughts

Burnout recovery requires more than simply resting; it requires reorienting how we relate to ourselves and our environments. Awe is not a replacement for medical care or systemic change, but it is a profound (and often free) state we can access daily. By intentionally cultivating awe, we invite regulation, reduce stress, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves that neurodivergent burnout can overshadow.

Awe reminds us: we are more than our exhaustion,

and there is beauty still available to us.

Go Gently,

Suzanne

References

• Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Chen, S., Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., McNeil, G. D., & Keltner, D. (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. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000087

• Shiota, M. N., Keltner, D., & Mossman, A. (2007). The nature of awe: Elicitors, appraisals, and effects on self-concept. Cognition & Emotion, 21(5), 944–963. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930600923668

• Stellar, J. E., John-Henderson, N., Anderson, C. L., Gordon, A. M., McNeil, G. D., & Keltner, D. (2015). Positive affect and markers of inflammation: Discrete positive emotions predict lower levels of inflammatory cytokines. Emotion, 15(2), 129–133. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000033

• Sturm, V. E., Datta, S., Roy, A. R., Killgore, W. D., & Levenson, R. W. (2020). Awe walks: Enhancing emotional well-being in older adults. Emotion, 21(6), 1169–1180. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001008

• Wong, C. K., McEwen, B. S., & Gianaros, P. J. (2020). Awe as a pathway to resilience and health: Mechanisms and implications. Psychological Science, 31(10), 1233–1245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620941676

© 2025 Suzanne Fischer Comelo, LMFT, Neurodivergent Coach