Not long ago, I found myself inching through Boston traffic with my teenage daughter in the passenger seat, both of us squinting at Google Maps and getting frustrated by the minute. It was a mess. We were on our way to an art exhibit she’d been dying to see. And even though my stress levels were peaking, parking was a nightmare and my caffeine was wearing off, I remember thinking, “If my teen actually wants to hang out with me, I’m all in.”
What happened next reminded me why awe matters, maybe now more than ever.
We walked into the exhibit and her face lit up. I watched her slowly take in each floral installation inspired by art. For a moment, the buzz of the world fell away, and something like wonder settled into the space between us.
I’ve been reading a lot about awe lately, what it does to our minds, our bodies, and our relationships. The research out of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center blew my mind: awe reduces inflammation, quiets anxious thoughts, strengthens social bonds, and even makes us more generous and humble.
It’s like an emotional reset button. And teenagers? They need that button more than most.
The Hidden Power of Awe for Teens
We don’t talk enough about how overwhelmed today’s teens really are. Between nonstop screen time, academic pressure, climate anxiety, social comparison, and pandemic ripple effects, many teens are running on empty.
But here’s the hopeful part: teens are actually wired to feel awe. Their brains are in a season of rapid growth, primed for intensity and big feelings. If we can help them channel that emotional energy toward beauty, purpose, and wonder instead of fear or numbness, it might just shift something important.
Here are three research-backed, real-life ways to help your teen (and yourself) experience more awe.
1. Get Curious About What Lights Them Up
One of the hardest parts of parenting a teen is not recognizing the kid you thought you knew. One day they love piano, the next they’re into cosplay or quantum physics. And you’re left wondering what just happened.
I used to teach middle school, and I can’t tell you how often I heard parents say, “My kid’s like a stranger now.” What if we replaced that with a mindset of “radical curiosity,” like Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger suggests?
Ask yourself: What’s one thing I haven’t noticed about my teen lately?
Maybe it’s the way they quietly sketch in the margins of their math homework, or how they light up when talking about a fantasy novel. Follow those breadcrumbs. A tiny spark of interest in Dungeons & Dragons might be the doorway to community theater, mythology, or a love of writing.
When we reflect their awe back to them “I noticed how excited you got when you saw that photo exhibit” we not only validate their wonder, but we invite more of it.
2. Create Awe-Friendly Moments (They’re Closer Than You Think)
You don’t need a mountaintop or a pricey vacation to feel awe. Science shows it’s often found in the everyday: a walk in nature, music that gives you chills, watching someone do something brave, or simply witnessing unexpected kindness.
Even better? When teens experience what sociologist Émile Durkheim called collective effervescence, that electric feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself, like singing in a choir, winning a team match, or cheering at a concert, they’re tapping into awe.
Ask yourself:
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Where can we hear live music this weekend?
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What’s a simple hike or outdoor spot we haven’t visited in a while?
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Is there a local volunteer event or art show we could check out?
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What stories of human kindness or bravery can we share over dinner?
Let awe be less about performance and more about presence.
3. Start a ‘Something Beautiful Every Day’ Habit
This one has changed my life.
After diving into the science of awe, I started following nature photographers and poets instead of influencers. My feeds transformed from comparison traps to sources of quiet wonder. I began a daily practice: I find one beautiful thing, just one, and share it with someone I care about.
At first, I sent it to a friend who lives across the country. Then, one day, I started texting them to my daughter, too.
A photo of a misty morning. A baby duck. A song lyric that gave me goosebumps. And something shifted. She started sending me her own little sparks of beauty, reels of baby animals, art she found, lyrics she loved.
It wasn’t performative. It wasn’t forced. It became a shared language between us. And let me tell you: in a world that feels noisy and fractured, that connection meant everything.
We can’t eliminate screens from our teens’ lives, but we can model how to use them with intention, to seek wonder instead of more noise.
Final Thoughts: Raising Awe-Seekers in a Busy, Messy World
Awe doesn’t require perfection, money, or grand gestures. It requires presence.
So the next time your teen shrugs off your plans, or you feel like the chaos is winning, ask yourself: What tiny doorway to wonder can I offer today?
Maybe it’s a song. A leaf. A painting. A shared moment of silence.
Because in those little windows of awe, we remember who we are—and we help our teens feel more alive in a world that desperately needs it.