Protecting our Sense of Wonder in Cynical Times
By Val Walker
Photo by Annisa Rosalina
Our experiences of awe and wonder can surprise us in many ways—when a glorious cardinal lands near our window, or when someone on our mind calls us out of the blue. We may have encountered moments that took our breath away and nurtured our senses as well as our soul with something enchanting and indescribable. We paused to take it all in and savored the afterglow of our amazement. But minutes later, we moved on, forging ahead to meet our daily responsibilities and tasks.
Too often, we forget these stunning little moments. These pockets of magic might be underappreciated and left unexplored, left behind, or tucked away. We might not recognize how wonder transforms us through these brief, fleeting experiences. Even 30 seconds of being awestruck by a rainbow popping out of the clouds can shift a hectic, chaotic day into a somewhat more livable day, at least.
Neuroscience research readily explains the many good reasons to stop and behold these wondrous moments. One big benefit is the instant deactivation of our Default Mode Network of our brains when we switch from self-absorbed or self-referencing thinking into a state of being present to the moment and open to our surroundings. This reset of our perspective and our receptivity to the world around us, as well as attunement to other people around us, all work to bring out the best of us. In short, little bits of wonder and awe open our minds—and we are more likely to see our world, our lives, and other people in a whole new light.
As uplifting as it sounds to restore more wonder and awe in our daily lives, for troubling reasons, we spend much of our time on our screens and phones, doomscrolling or racing to keep up on ever-breaking news. I’ve noticed, especially since the 2024 election, that I’ve needed to force myself away from my devices and just take a merciful pause to restore a moment of wonder into my day. I am now highly intentional and proactive about giving myself “awe moments” or “wonder walks” for my peace of mind.
Still, I worry about my scrolling habits and hypervigilant phone checking behaviors that interfere with doing what I want to do with my precious time! I yearn to have more wondrous moments and time to relish these, to have conversations reminiscing about memories of when time stood still, and time to write about these encounters in intricate detail. So—why do I keep jumping on my phone to get a quick fix on TikTok, or an update on the tanking stock market, another war on the brink of starting, or another lay-off of 20,000 employees? I live in suspense—and completely admit it.
On top of that, I must work more hours to earn more due to medical needs and medicine increases, as well as radically increased utilities and food costs. And with the tariffs, we’re facing shortages and higher costs for most everything. My modest social security income is threatened with proposed cuts.
So, I live in suspense and financial insecurity—like most Americans these days. And we all know the stress this causes. But still, how on God’s green earth can we be fair to ourselves and give ourselves and others a moment of wonder? Or joy?
Just last week, after realizing I’d left my phone in the car, I mercifully forbade myself to run out to the car to rescue my phone (as if it was an emergency). I would not allow myself to touch any screen or look at one for a good 30 minutes. I plopped down on the sofa by my window to watch the blue jays and chickadees hopping near me in the bright green maple trees. The spritely, dazzling April leaves waved in swirling breezes while my sheer white curtains swayed in unison.
I was not going to let anything or anyone take away this wondrous moment. Today was just too beautiful to pass up and leave in the background for screentime.
It struck me that giving myself a pure moment of wonder was my resilience to this cynical world and its demands. Protecting time for wonder was essential to preserving my sanity. Indeed, making time for pockets of enchantment was how I could stay strong and hold on to the best qualities of myself. These moments were more than just little stressbusters—they were fundamental to my resilience.
And then, something I thought made me smile: My resilience is my resistance to negative, destructive forces.
My sense of wonder makes me resilient. And my resilience is my resistance to destructive forces.
Similarly, Rachel Carson, in her book, The Sense of Wonder, heralded the power of wonder to save our planet and the future of our humanity. She calls us to nurture, preserve, and protect our ability to feel these vital emotions. Otherwise, without our sense of wonder, we become desensitized, dehumanized, debilitated beings.
I’ve found that making time for awe, wonder, reverence, and a little magic are essential for my survival, not only for my well-being. I know how strong I feel when I don’t allow the algorithms and screens to suck me in, hook, line, and sinker. I have the power to give myself a moment of wonder and my full, undistracted attention to what really matters.
We can reclaim our sense of wonder by protecting our time for wondrous moments and being intentional about where we give our attention. I agree with Rachel Carson: “The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
Our sense of wonder can save us. I can attest that moments of awe and wonder have kept me hopeful, willing to be amazed, and able to wing it with uncertainty.
About the Author
Val Walker is a contributing blogger for Psychology Today and the author of 400 Friends and No One to Call, released in 2020 with Central Recovery Press. Her first book, The Art of Comforting (Penguin/Random House, 2010), won the Nautilus Book award and was recommended by the Boston Public Health Commission as a guide for families impacted by the Boston Marathon Bombing. Val received her MS in rehabilitation counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a rehabilitation consultant, speaker, and educator. Her articles and Q&As have appeared in AARP, Caregiver Space, Babyboomer.com, Caregiver Solutions, Time, Good Housekeeping, Coping with Cancer, Boston Globe Magazine, Belief Net, Marie Claire, and Sweety High.
Val’s new book, Healing Through Wonder, will be released with Bloomsbury Publishing in January 2026. You can also learn more about the “Healing Through Wonder Project” through their YouTube channel, The Sun Will Rise Foundation, and Support After a Death by Overdose (SADOD) project.
Keep up with Val at www.ValWalkerAuthor.com