Latest news with #GreaterGoodScienceCenter
CNBC
11-07-2025
- Science
- CNBC
78-year-old who has written over 175 books: My 4 'hard rules' for keeping my brain sharp and quick
At 78 years old, my brain is just as sharp and productive as ever. I've written more than 175 books over the course of my career — on a wide range of topics, including marine biology, job interviews, ancient trees, creativity, baseball, dinosaurs, American history, resume writing, tsunamis, and Mother Goose. I also spent over three decades as a professor and worked with more than 100 schools across North America as a consultant. Even though I'm retired now, I still write books, give presentations, and blog about psychology. My secret to staying sharp is simple: I am constantly curious. Our brain's chemistry changes when we become curious. Curiosity is what sharpens our intellectual powers, and keeps us mentally active well into our golden years. Here are my four hard rules for keeping my brain sharp and quick: There's a common belief that knowledge is the key to success. But growing research suggests that some of the most successful people embrace their own "innate ignorance." They understand that there is much more to learn about the world, but they don't let that impede their progress. If anything, it galvanizes them to do more. Knowing what we don't know can be a powerful mindset shift that sparks growth and creativity. How to do this: Once or twice a week, select a topic you know little about, preferably one unrelated to your job or background. Maybe it's WWII fighter pilots, prehistoric cave paintings, or square-trunked trees. Spend five to 10 minutes learning all you can about that topic. Write down three interesting facts. This is a small but powerful way to exercise your brain. Many of us get trapped in an endless cycle of convergent thinking, or always looking for the "right" answers. But I've spent my entire career as an educator, and I can tell you that most schools trained us to focus on facts ("What is the capital of Pennsylvania?"), rather than creative answers ("Where do you think the capital Pennsylvania be located?"). Divergent questions, or open-ended questions that have multiple answers, encourage deeper thinking and help keep your mind flexible. How to do this: A few times a week, ask yourself "What if...?" questions: Not only are these questions fun, they can also generate a number of responses and paths for exploration. According to researchers at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, experiencing awe can stimulate wonder and curiosity. Some examples can be holding a newborn baby, seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, or watching a kaleidoscope of butterflies dance over an open field. That sense of awe can improve our well-being, contribute to a more positive attitude, and boost curiosity. How to do this: Once or twice a month, go to a place you've never been before. It doesn't have to be somewhere far — maybe a local park or new restaurant. Find something awesome, spend time observing, and record your thoughts. Reading outside our field of expertise may be one of the most significant things we can do to develop our natural curiosity. When we expose ourselves to different ways of thinking through literature, we open up new possibilities for learning. Even after 50 years of teaching, my current reading list includes books not on education, but on marketing strategies, paleontology, growing tomatoes, British narrowboats, island ecology, long distance running, and redwood trees, among many others. How to do this: Visit your local public library and pick at least three books on topics that interest you, but that you've never formally studied or worked in. Read at least one chapter a day. You might be surprised by where your research takes you.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it
EDITOR'S NOTE: Deborah Farmer Kris is a child development specialist and the author of 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' Find her at Parenthood365. My teenage daughter recently convinced me to take her to an art exhibit in Boston. The traffic was a predictable nightmare, over an hour to travel 15 miles, and we had to park almost a mile away. But when your teenager wants to do something with you, you do it. When I saw my daughter's face light up as she roamed the galleries admiring the art-inspired floral displays, that stress melted away. As we left the museum, we talked about the upside of the crowds — people were going out of their way to look at beautiful art in the midst of a world torn by war, political division and very real worries They were also making time for awe. I have spent the past four years researching how the emotion of awe can support our children while writing my first book for adults, 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' That awe my daughter and I experienced is an emotional superfood. Wonder supports our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, according to research out of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, a research center focused on the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Awe prompts us to be kinder and humbler. It quiets mental chatter, increases curiosity and helps us feel connected to other people. It has even been found to reduce biomarkers of stress and inflammation. 'Don't underestimate the power of goosebumps,' as awe researcher and University of California, Berkeley distinguished psychology professor Dacher Keltner likes to say, It's easy to talk about young kids and wonder — how a 3-year-old's eyes grow wide when they find a robin's nest. But I'm even more interested in how this emotion can support today's teenagers. We know that too many teens are stressed-out, overprogrammed, lonely and screen saturated. But they are also at an age where their rapid brain development and heightened emotional sensitivity prime them to feel wonder. Here are three ways to help your teens tap into this protective emotion, and they might reawaken your sense of wonder as well. Young teens are in the throes of identity formation. The activities that bring them joy in fifth grade may all get thrown out the window by eighth grade. Over the course of two years, my oldest child dropped scouting, horseback riding and piano. After some experimenting, she found her way to community theater, art and a local track club. I had signed her up for Girl Scouts and piano years earlier, but adolescence is the time for them to figure out which hats fit them best. Even though it's normal and necessary, this period of rapid change can be confusing to both parents and teens. I used to teach middle school and often heard parents lament, 'I hardly recognize my kid anymore.' How about we replace that lament with 'radical curiosity?' Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger introduced me to the phrase as a mindful parenting practice. Look at your child and ask yourself, 'What's one thing about this kid I haven't noticed before?' It can be anything, he told me — even the new way they are parting their hair. Radical curiosity also helps us tune into what brings them wonder, especially when that seems to change every month. What lights them up this month? When we notice their curiosity, we can nurture it. A fascination with 'The Lord of the Rings' books and movies leads them to try a Dungeons & Dragons club. If their face brightens when working with small children or animals, perhaps there's a volunteer opportunity you can help them find. Notice what makes your teens say 'wow' — what gives them goosebumps or expands their minds in beautiful ways. That's how to learn more about who they are right now and who they might become. When we pay attention to our kids' sources of awe, we validate their experiences and invite them to keep exploring. The best part about awe is how ordinary and accessible it is. It doesn't require expensive equipment or a fancy family vacation. In fact, Keltner describes awe as an 'everyday emotion' that we can access during a morning walk or while cheering on the home team. Over the past 20 years, researchers have examined what types of experiences elicit awe. People around the world reported feeling this emotion while exploring nature, enjoying art and music, and contemplating big ideas. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common source of everyday wonder came from observing other people being kind and brave. We are inspired by human goodness. Another source of awe that particularly resonates with teens is collective effervescence. That's the feeling that comes from working with others toward a common goal — the electricity that you feel cheering with a crowd, passing the soccer ball to your teammates during a big game or singing with a choir. For our kids, it's the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Knowing these sources of awe is a useful mental framework for parents and teens, and it can help us seek out meaningful experiences. Where can we see art in our community? What music currently brings my kids joy — and can I have it playing in the car when I pick them up? How can we become more connected with our local community? What club or sport might be worth trying? What neighbor needs our help? What are some 'good news' moments we can share with each other? How can we all get outside this weekend, for even a few minutes? Teens are astute anthropologists of human behavior. If we want them to feel more of this amazing human emotion, we must become awe-seekers and awe-sharers ourselves. I don't mean we need to approach this in a canned way – no teen wants to hear mom's daily 'good news minute.' Instead, look for ways authentically share those small moments of wonder that you stumble upon. Here's something that has worked for me. Since diving into the research on awe, I've started to follow more nature photographers and artists on social media. The more I choose to follow these types of accounts, the more the apps' algorithms work in my favor. Makeup tips have been replaced by ridiculously beautiful birds. Inspired by these photos, I started a practice I call 'something beautiful every day.' I look for one beautiful thing — a flower on my walk, a song or story, a picture or quote — and I text it to a dear friend who lives 2000 miles away. Sharing amplified my feelings of wonder and helped me feel connected across the miles After a few months of this practice, I thought, 'Why not send these to my teen, too?' Now I often text my daughter my daily photo, quote, story, song or goosebump-inducing reel. And guess what? She started to send me more art, photos and adorable videos of ducks and baby sheep. It's a beautiful counterbalance to other headlines and images that cross my screen, a reminder of the everyday beauty we can find in this messy world. I underestimated how valuable this medium of communication would be for our parent-child relationship — these daily windows into what we each find wonder-ful. Screen time is a never-ending parenting dilemma. As psychologist and HEC Paris business professor Craig Anderson told me, most of the apps we use are not designed to make us feel awe. Nor do they prioritize our well-being, he said. Instead, 'they're designed to keep us in front of the app.' If you want to feel the benefits of 'noticing things like the flowers blooming or the light filtering through the leaves on the trees,' Anderson said, 'your attention can't be wrapped up in a phone.' To which I add, if we can purposefully use a bit of our screen time as a tool for sharing beauty with our teens — and others we love, perhaps we can change our internal algorithm and bend it toward awe. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
CNN
27-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it
EDITOR'S NOTE: Deborah Farmer Kris is a child development specialist and the author of 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' Find her at Parenthood365. My teenage daughter recently convinced me to take her to an art exhibit in Boston. The traffic was a predictable nightmare, over an hour to travel 15 miles, and we had to park almost a mile away. But when your teenager wants to do something with you, you do it. When I saw my daughter's face light up as she roamed the galleries admiring the art-inspired floral displays, that stress melted away. As we left the museum, we talked about the upside of the crowds — people were going out of their way to look at beautiful art in the midst of a world torn by war, political division and very real worries They were also making time for awe. I have spent the past four years researching how the emotion of awe can support our children while writing my first book for adults, 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' That awe my daughter and I experienced is an emotional superfood. Wonder supports our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, according to research out of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, a research center focused on the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Awe prompts us to be kinder and humbler. It quiets mental chatter, increases curiosity and helps us feel connected to other people. It has even been found to reduce biomarkers of stress and inflammation. 'Don't underestimate the power of goosebumps,' as awe researcher and University of California, Berkeley distinguished psychology professor Dacher Keltner likes to say, It's easy to talk about young kids and wonder — how a 3-year-old's eyes grow wide when they find a robin's nest. But I'm even more interested in how this emotion can support today's teenagers. We know that too many teens are stressed-out, overprogrammed, lonely and screen saturated. But they are also at an age where their rapid brain development and heightened emotional sensitivity prime them to feel wonder. Here are three ways to help your teens tap into this protective emotion, and they might reawaken your sense of wonder as well. Young teens are in the throes of identity formation. The activities that bring them joy in fifth grade may all get thrown out the window by eighth grade. Over the course of two years, my oldest child dropped scouting, horseback riding and piano. After some experimenting, she found her way to community theater, art and a local track club. I had signed her up for Girl Scouts and piano years earlier, but adolescence is the time for them to figure out which hats fit them best. Even though it's normal and necessary, this period of rapid change can be confusing to both parents and teens. I used to teach middle school and often heard parents lament, 'I hardly recognize my kid anymore.' How about we replace that lament with 'radical curiosity?' Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger introduced me to the phrase as a mindful parenting practice. Look at your child and ask yourself, 'What's one thing about this kid I haven't noticed before?' It can be anything, he told me — even the new way they are parting their hair. Radical curiosity also helps us tune into what brings them wonder, especially when that seems to change every month. What lights them up this month? When we notice their curiosity, we can nurture it. A fascination with 'The Lord of the Rings' books and movies leads them to try a Dungeons & Dragons club. If their face brightens when working with small children or animals, perhaps there's a volunteer opportunity you can help them find. Notice what makes your teens say 'wow' — what gives them goosebumps or expands their minds in beautiful ways. That's how to learn more about who they are right now and who they might become. When we pay attention to our kids' sources of awe, we validate their experiences and invite them to keep exploring. The best part about awe is how ordinary and accessible it is. It doesn't require expensive equipment or a fancy family vacation. In fact, Keltner describes awe as an 'everyday emotion' that we can access during a morning walk or while cheering on the home team. Over the past 20 years, researchers have examined what types of experiences elicit awe. People around the world reported feeling this emotion while exploring nature, enjoying art and music, and contemplating big ideas. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common source of everyday wonder came from observing other people being kind and brave. We are inspired by human goodness. Another source of awe that particularly resonates with teens is collective effervescence. That's the feeling that comes from working with others toward a common goal — the electricity that you feel cheering with a crowd, passing the soccer ball to your teammates during a big game or singing with a choir. For our kids, it's the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Knowing these sources of awe is a useful mental framework for parents and teens, and it can help us seek out meaningful experiences. Where can we see art in our community? What music currently brings my kids joy — and can I have it playing in the car when I pick them up? How can we become more connected with our local community? What club or sport might be worth trying? What neighbor needs our help? What are some 'good news' moments we can share with each other? How can we all get outside this weekend, for even a few minutes? Teens are astute anthropologists of human behavior. If we want them to feel more of this amazing human emotion, we must become awe-seekers and awe-sharers ourselves. I don't mean we need to approach this in a canned way – no teen wants to hear mom's daily 'good news minute.' Instead, look for ways authentically share those small moments of wonder that you stumble upon. Here's something that has worked for me. Since diving into the research on awe, I've started to follow more nature photographers and artists on social media. The more I choose to follow these types of accounts, the more the apps' algorithms work in my favor. Makeup tips have been replaced by ridiculously beautiful birds. Inspired by these photos, I started a practice I call 'something beautiful every day.' I look for one beautiful thing — a flower on my walk, a song or story, a picture or quote — and I text it to a dear friend who lives 2000 miles away. Sharing amplified my feelings of wonder and helped me feel connected across the miles After a few months of this practice, I thought, 'Why not send these to my teen, too?' Now I often text my daughter my daily photo, quote, story, song or goosebump-inducing reel. And guess what? She started to send me more art, photos and adorable videos of ducks and baby sheep. It's a beautiful counterbalance to other headlines and images that cross my screen, a reminder of the everyday beauty we can find in this messy world. I underestimated how valuable this medium of communication would be for our parent-child relationship — these daily windows into what we each find wonder-ful. Screen time is a never-ending parenting dilemma. As psychologist and HEC Paris business professor Craig Anderson told me, most of the apps we use are not designed to make us feel awe. Nor do they prioritize our well-being, he said. Instead, 'they're designed to keep us in front of the app.' If you want to feel the benefits of 'noticing things like the flowers blooming or the light filtering through the leaves on the trees,' Anderson said, 'your attention can't be wrapped up in a phone.' To which I add, if we can purposefully use a bit of our screen time as a tool for sharing beauty with our teens — and others we love, perhaps we can change our internal algorithm and bend it toward awe. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
CNN
27-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it
Visual artsFacebookTweetLink Follow EDITOR'S NOTE: Deborah Farmer Kris is a child development specialist and the author of 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' Find her at Parenthood365. My teenage daughter recently convinced me to take her to an art exhibit in Boston. The traffic was a predictable nightmare, over an hour to travel 15 miles, and we had to park almost a mile away. But when your teenager wants to do something with you, you do it. When I saw my daughter's face light up as she roamed the galleries admiring the art-inspired floral displays, that stress melted away. As we left the museum, we talked about the upside of the crowds — people were going out of their way to look at beautiful art in the midst of a world torn by war, political division and very real worries They were also making time for awe. I have spent the past four years researching how the emotion of awe can support our children while writing my first book for adults, 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' That awe my daughter and I experienced is an emotional superfood. Wonder supports our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, according to research out of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, a research center focused on the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Awe prompts us to be kinder and humbler. It quiets mental chatter, increases curiosity and helps us feel connected to other people. It has even been found to reduce biomarkers of stress and inflammation. 'Don't underestimate the power of goosebumps,' as awe researcher and University of California, Berkeley distinguished psychology professor Dacher Keltner likes to say, It's easy to talk about young kids and wonder — how a 3-year-old's eyes grow wide when they find a robin's nest. But I'm even more interested in how this emotion can support today's teenagers. We know that too many teens are stressed-out, overprogrammed, lonely and screen saturated. But they are also at an age where their rapid brain development and heightened emotional sensitivity prime them to feel wonder. Here are three ways to help your teens tap into this protective emotion, and they might reawaken your sense of wonder as well. Young teens are in the throes of identity formation. The activities that bring them joy in fifth grade may all get thrown out the window by eighth grade. Over the course of two years, my oldest child dropped scouting, horseback riding and piano. After some experimenting, she found her way to community theater, art and a local track club. I had signed her up for Girl Scouts and piano years earlier, but adolescence is the time for them to figure out which hats fit them best. Even though it's normal and necessary, this period of rapid change can be confusing to both parents and teens. I used to teach middle school and often heard parents lament, 'I hardly recognize my kid anymore.' How about we replace that lament with 'radical curiosity?' Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger introduced me to the phrase as a mindful parenting practice. Look at your child and ask yourself, 'What's one thing about this kid I haven't noticed before?' It can be anything, he told me — even the new way they are parting their hair. Radical curiosity also helps us tune into what brings them wonder, especially when that seems to change every month. What lights them up this month? When we notice their curiosity, we can nurture it. A fascination with 'The Lord of the Rings' books and movies leads them to try a Dungeons & Dragons club. If their face brightens when working with small children or animals, perhaps there's a volunteer opportunity you can help them find. Notice what makes your teens say 'wow' — what gives them goosebumps or expands their minds in beautiful ways. That's how to learn more about who they are right now and who they might become. When we pay attention to our kids' sources of awe, we validate their experiences and invite them to keep exploring. The best part about awe is how ordinary and accessible it is. It doesn't require expensive equipment or a fancy family vacation. In fact, Keltner describes awe as an 'everyday emotion' that we can access during a morning walk or while cheering on the home team. Over the past 20 years, researchers have examined what types of experiences elicit awe. People around the world reported feeling this emotion while exploring nature, enjoying art and music, and contemplating big ideas. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common source of everyday wonder came from observing other people being kind and brave. We are inspired by human goodness. Another source of awe that particularly resonates with teens is collective effervescence. That's the feeling that comes from working with others toward a common goal — the electricity that you feel cheering with a crowd, passing the soccer ball to your teammates during a big game or singing with a choir. For our kids, it's the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Knowing these sources of awe is a useful mental framework for parents and teens, and it can help us seek out meaningful experiences. Where can we see art in our community? What music currently brings my kids joy — and can I have it playing in the car when I pick them up? How can we become more connected with our local community? What club or sport might be worth trying? What neighbor needs our help? What are some 'good news' moments we can share with each other? How can we all get outside this weekend, for even a few minutes? Teens are astute anthropologists of human behavior. If we want them to feel more of this amazing human emotion, we must become awe-seekers and awe-sharers ourselves. I don't mean we need to approach this in a canned way – no teen wants to hear mom's daily 'good news minute.' Instead, look for ways authentically share those small moments of wonder that you stumble upon. Here's something that has worked for me. Since diving into the research on awe, I've started to follow more nature photographers and artists on social media. The more I choose to follow these types of accounts, the more the apps' algorithms work in my favor. Makeup tips have been replaced by ridiculously beautiful birds. Inspired by these photos, I started a practice I call 'something beautiful every day.' I look for one beautiful thing — a flower on my walk, a song or story, a picture or quote — and I text it to a dear friend who lives 2000 miles away. Sharing amplified my feelings of wonder and helped me feel connected across the miles After a few months of this practice, I thought, 'Why not send these to my teen, too?' Now I often text my daughter my daily photo, quote, story, song or goosebump-inducing reel. And guess what? She started to send me more art, photos and adorable videos of ducks and baby sheep. It's a beautiful counterbalance to other headlines and images that cross my screen, a reminder of the everyday beauty we can find in this messy world. I underestimated how valuable this medium of communication would be for our parent-child relationship — these daily windows into what we each find wonder-ful. Screen time is a never-ending parenting dilemma. As psychologist and HEC Paris business professor Craig Anderson told me, most of the apps we use are not designed to make us feel awe. Nor do they prioritize our well-being, he said. Instead, 'they're designed to keep us in front of the app.' If you want to feel the benefits of 'noticing things like the flowers blooming or the light filtering through the leaves on the trees,' Anderson said, 'your attention can't be wrapped up in a phone.' To which I add, if we can purposefully use a bit of our screen time as a tool for sharing beauty with our teens — and others we love, perhaps we can change our internal algorithm and bend it toward awe. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
CNN
27-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it
EDITOR'S NOTE: Deborah Farmer Kris is a child development specialist and the author of 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' Find her at Parenthood365. My teenage daughter recently convinced me to take her to an art exhibit in Boston. The traffic was a predictable nightmare, over an hour to travel 15 miles, and we had to park almost a mile away. But when your teenager wants to do something with you, you do it. When I saw my daughter's face light up as she roamed the galleries admiring the art-inspired floral displays, that stress melted away. As we left the museum, we talked about the upside of the crowds — people were going out of their way to look at beautiful art in the midst of a world torn by war, political division and very real worries They were also making time for awe. I have spent the past four years researching how the emotion of awe can support our children while writing my first book for adults, 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' That awe my daughter and I experienced is an emotional superfood. Wonder supports our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, according to research out of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, a research center focused on the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Awe prompts us to be kinder and humbler. It quiets mental chatter, increases curiosity and helps us feel connected to other people. It has even been found to reduce biomarkers of stress and inflammation. 'Don't underestimate the power of goosebumps,' as awe researcher and University of California, Berkeley distinguished psychology professor Dacher Keltner likes to say, It's easy to talk about young kids and wonder — how a 3-year-old's eyes grow wide when they find a robin's nest. But I'm even more interested in how this emotion can support today's teenagers. We know that too many teens are stressed-out, overprogrammed, lonely and screen saturated. But they are also at an age where their rapid brain development and heightened emotional sensitivity prime them to feel wonder. Here are three ways to help your teens tap into this protective emotion, and they might reawaken your sense of wonder as well. Young teens are in the throes of identity formation. The activities that bring them joy in fifth grade may all get thrown out the window by eighth grade. Over the course of two years, my oldest child dropped scouting, horseback riding and piano. After some experimenting, she found her way to community theater, art and a local track club. I had signed her up for Girl Scouts and piano years earlier, but adolescence is the time for them to figure out which hats fit them best. Even though it's normal and necessary, this period of rapid change can be confusing to both parents and teens. I used to teach middle school and often heard parents lament, 'I hardly recognize my kid anymore.' How about we replace that lament with 'radical curiosity?' Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger introduced me to the phrase as a mindful parenting practice. Look at your child and ask yourself, 'What's one thing about this kid I haven't noticed before?' It can be anything, he told me — even the new way they are parting their hair. Radical curiosity also helps us tune into what brings them wonder, especially when that seems to change every month. What lights them up this month? When we notice their curiosity, we can nurture it. A fascination with 'The Lord of the Rings' books and movies leads them to try a Dungeons & Dragons club. If their face brightens when working with small children or animals, perhaps there's a volunteer opportunity you can help them find. Notice what makes your teens say 'wow' — what gives them goosebumps or expands their minds in beautiful ways. That's how to learn more about who they are right now and who they might become. When we pay attention to our kids' sources of awe, we validate their experiences and invite them to keep exploring. The best part about awe is how ordinary and accessible it is. It doesn't require expensive equipment or a fancy family vacation. In fact, Keltner describes awe as an 'everyday emotion' that we can access during a morning walk or while cheering on the home team. Over the past 20 years, researchers have examined what types of experiences elicit awe. People around the world reported feeling this emotion while exploring nature, enjoying art and music, and contemplating big ideas. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common source of everyday wonder came from observing other people being kind and brave. We are inspired by human goodness. Another source of awe that particularly resonates with teens is collective effervescence. That's the feeling that comes from working with others toward a common goal — the electricity that you feel cheering with a crowd, passing the soccer ball to your teammates during a big game or singing with a choir. For our kids, it's the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Knowing these sources of awe is a useful mental framework for parents and teens, and it can help us seek out meaningful experiences. Where can we see art in our community? What music currently brings my kids joy — and can I have it playing in the car when I pick them up? How can we become more connected with our local community? What club or sport might be worth trying? What neighbor needs our help? What are some 'good news' moments we can share with each other? How can we all get outside this weekend, for even a few minutes? Teens are astute anthropologists of human behavior. If we want them to feel more of this amazing human emotion, we must become awe-seekers and awe-sharers ourselves. I don't mean we need to approach this in a canned way – no teen wants to hear mom's daily 'good news minute.' Instead, look for ways authentically share those small moments of wonder that you stumble upon. Here's something that has worked for me. Since diving into the research on awe, I've started to follow more nature photographers and artists on social media. The more I choose to follow these types of accounts, the more the apps' algorithms work in my favor. Makeup tips have been replaced by ridiculously beautiful birds. Inspired by these photos, I started a practice I call 'something beautiful every day.' I look for one beautiful thing — a flower on my walk, a song or story, a picture or quote — and I text it to a dear friend who lives 2000 miles away. Sharing amplified my feelings of wonder and helped me feel connected across the miles After a few months of this practice, I thought, 'Why not send these to my teen, too?' Now I often text my daughter my daily photo, quote, story, song or goosebump-inducing reel. And guess what? She started to send me more art, photos and adorable videos of ducks and baby sheep. It's a beautiful counterbalance to other headlines and images that cross my screen, a reminder of the everyday beauty we can find in this messy world. I underestimated how valuable this medium of communication would be for our parent-child relationship — these daily windows into what we each find wonder-ful. Screen time is a never-ending parenting dilemma. As psychologist and HEC Paris business professor Craig Anderson told me, most of the apps we use are not designed to make us feel awe. Nor do they prioritize our well-being, he said. Instead, 'they're designed to keep us in front of the app.' If you want to feel the benefits of 'noticing things like the flowers blooming or the light filtering through the leaves on the trees,' Anderson said, 'your attention can't be wrapped up in a phone.' To which I add, if we can purposefully use a bit of our screen time as a tool for sharing beauty with our teens — and others we love, perhaps we can change our internal algorithm and bend it toward awe. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
