What Is Seasonal Awe?

What defines seasonal awe, and how is it different from everyday wonder?

When we think about awe, we often think big. The Grand Canyon. The Alps. The Taj Mahal. The sheer size and beauty of these landmarks is certainly awe-inspiring.

Other times, we might think about something remarkable in its detail: a Renaissance painting, a butterfly’s wings, a snowflake. They, too, spark awe.

But all of these are fixed wonders; what amazes us about them is something static, something we can see.

But there’s a different variety of awe, one that arises through the perception of unseen forces over time. This kind of awe looks like birds migrating, leaves falling, and flowers blooming, but its source is what’s underlying these phenomena, something only recognized as change. This is seasonal awe.

Essentially, seasonal awe is a heightened state of awareness triggered by environmental changes. Unlike the spontaneous thrill of glimpsing a massive mountain or otherworldly constellation, the power of nature’s seasonal shifts builds gradually. This awe stems from endurance. Year after year, no matter what’s going on in the world, the same cycle of the seasons plays out again.

And every year, this change plays out in us, too. Our circadian rhythms adjust to nature’s calendar, winding our internal clocks.

Seasonal awe doesn’t just wow us, then—it reorients our minds and bodies.

How do environmental shifts affect awe perception?

A foggy morning, the first frost, or a shift in daylight don’t inspire awe on their own. Instead, they are gateways to it.

These liminal cues signal impermanence, a known driver of awe and reflection. Awareness and acceptance of impermanence can transform the mind. In one study of college students in China, those who accepted impermanence had lower levels of anxiety and stress, and a higher level of life satisfaction, than their peers who hadn’t.

Reveling in nature’s visual stimuli is one way to embrace impermanence. Another? Listening to its sounds. Researchers found that naturalistic sounds can foster connections in the default mode network (DMN), a system of brain regions that’s activated during introspection and reflection, and that this neural activity can improve one’s health.

The DMN helps us understand the link between past events and connect them to the future. In other words, it allows us to grasp impermanence, the larger force at work in seasonal change that truly inspires awe.

How is awe accessible in every season?

We all have our favorite seasons. But you can still find awe in each of them. You just have to be curious. A recent study of hundreds of high school students found that those who were more curious were more likely to experience awe.

Having an awe-prone mindset is basically a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you slow down and make room in your life for contemplating seasonal shifts, you’ll start to see how attuning yourself to nature can regulate your emotions. Fall is no longer just about foliage; it’s a cultural downshift, a time to retreat into yourself. Winter is, too, with all its silence and stillness.

Spring and summer, meanwhile, invite us outward. You can celebrate the reemergence of flora with an overwhelming sense of reassurance and gratitude that this cycle will repeat itself over and over again.

How can we become more attuned to seasonal awe in daily life?

You’re aware of seasonal change every year, but you might not be aware of it every day. Here are some ways you can pay more attention to shifts in the natural world:

→   Create your own calendar: You know when the technical start of a season is, but when do you first feel it? Note when a sensory experience signals the arrival of a new season. It could be a warm drink or a cricket’s song; whatever you associate with that time of year is fair game.

→   Follow a seasonal sound: Let wind in the trees, the hush of early dusk, or the call of birds guide your attention this week. Reflect on how these sounds shift throughout the year.

→   Celebrate seasonal light: Light a candle at sunset to reinforce the transition from day to night. No meaning required—just attention.

→   Pay attention to one species: It can be overwhelming to grasp all that appears around us in just a few months. Become an expert on one seasonal plant, bird, or fungus. It’ll be the “face” of that season and allow you to remember it more easily.
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To feel seasonal awe is to notice that time isn’t just passing—it’s shaping us along the way.