Mindful Minute: August is for Awe: Presence, Wonder, and Gratitude in Late Summer
By Koryn Sheppard
As August unfolds, the night skies across San Diego present us with one of the most remarkable natural spectacles of the year: the Perseid meteor shower. While often viewed as mere leisure, psychological research reveals that stargazing or watching a sunset can trigger a distinct, scientifically measurable biological state known as “awe.” For legal professionals whose days are routinely spent micro-analyzing details, managing high-stakes conflicts, and racing against ticking clocks, intentionally seeking out awe is a data-backed intervention to reset the nervous system.
The biological impact of awe is both unique and profound. Research out of the University of California, Berkeley[i], shows that experiencing awe is directly linked to lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines—the signaling proteins that prompt the immune system to react to stress. While acute inflammation protects against injury, chronic inflammation driven by workplace stress contributes to long-term physical and mental exhaustion. Experiencing awe signals to the brain that we are safe, dialing down the physiological threat response. Furthermore, awe triggers what psychologists term the “Small Self” effect. Rather than making us feel insignificant, this mental shift gently recalibrates our perspective, placing our deadlines and professional stressors into a broader, more grounding context.
Achieving this restorative state relies on a powerful psychological domino effect: being present, noticing the moment, feeling the awe, and ultimately, being grateful. In the legal profession, our minds are routinely pulled in two directions at once, either looking backward toward precedent and past mistakes, or projecting forward toward pending case work and looming deadlines. The first step—anchoring yourself firmly in the present—disrupts this exhausting mental time travel. From that grounded state of presence, you can actively notice the moment, flipping the switch from passive auto-pilot to active sensory awareness. When you allow yourself to feel awe at the vastness of what you notice, the oversized weight of your daily stressors shrinks. Finally, this sequence acts as the ultimate gateway to genuine gratitude. Rather than a forced exercise, gratitude arises naturally as a spontaneous appreciation for being fully alive and feeling a part of the world beyond our work life.
This grounded progression can alter the perception of time. In a demanding workplace, professionals may experience the persistent, anxious feeling that there are never enough hours to meet our obligations. Studies demonstrate that experiencing awe expands our temporal awareness, making us feel less rushed, more patient, and more emotionally available. It pulls the brain out of hyper-analytical survival mode and engages our capacity for creative problem-solving, countering burnout.
The Awe, Presence, and Gratitude Challenge
To help you harness this restorative state, our wellness sub-committee introduces the Awe and Gratitude Challenge. This week, commit to spending fifteen minutes outside—whether at dusk watching the ocean horizon, looking up at the night sky, or noticing the intricate architecture of a local San Diego park. Leave your phone behind and practice the four-step sequence. Allow yourself to be fully present, actively notice the details of your surroundings, let yourself feel the awe of that external vastness, and take a breath to mentally name one thing you are grateful for right now. By intentionally shifting your focus in this way, you provide your nervous system with a powerful biological recharge that moves the mind from defense to appreciation.
A close cousin of feeling awe is feeling gratitude. When I see the mighty Pacific Ocean, I am in awe, and I write a poem about how grateful I am to live near this magnificent body of water. This month, we invite you to turn your awe into gratefulness. Each night this month before you go to bed, write one thing you’re grateful for. Believe it or not, multiple studies have found that practicing gratitude reduces stress and makes us happier.
