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Health

Here’s how we can use the power of awe to make our lives more fulfilling

Being amazed by things outside ourselves is tremendous for our mental health.

via Benjamin Davies/Unsplash

A young man looking into the sky

The exhilaration of a rock concert. The feeling of deep serenity you experience during a religious ceremony. That sense of connectedness you get while walking through a dense forest. The lightness that flows through your body while dancing and the dissolution of the ego you experience on psychedelics. These are all experiences that give us the feeling of awe.

Most of us love having at least a few of these experiences and believe they help us grow. But now, a team of psychologists has explained why cultivating a sense of awe can benefit our minds and bodies and how we can create these experiences ourselves.

Maria Monroy and Dacher Keltner posit that a sense of awe can help solve the crises of individualism, excessive self-focus, loneliness and a culture of cynicism, and can even improve our physical health. They explain it in a research article titled “Awe as a Pathway to Mental and Physical Health.”

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mental health

Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

@chase.opie/Upworthy/Instagram, @NYRangers/Twitter,World Bird Sanctuary/Facebook

This week's delightful finds from around the internet

Every once in a while, the perfect story comes along. One that involves a little mystery, a little intrigue, a little surprise and a whole lot of wholesome joy.

Cue Murphy, the rescued elderly bald eagle who adopted a rock and unexpectedly showed the world what a great father he would be. The fact that he built a nest for a rock (subsequently dubbed "RockBaby") and protected it like a real egg would be enough for us to say, "Awww." But when a storm blew down a nearby eagle nest and a surviving chick needed a foster dad, Murphy got to prove that his rock-focused paternal instincts could, indeed, translate into genuine fatherhood.

Of course, Murphy getting a real baby isn't the only story that delighted us recently. This is Upworthy, after all. From furry friends that made our hearts melt to humans who restored our faith in humanity, here are 10 things that made us smile this week. We hope they make you smile, too.

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uplifting

Health

Studies show that there's science behind why certain things satisfy you

How excited would you be if you discovered that your guilty pleasures don't always need to make you feel guilty?

Image via Pixabay.

Science seeks to discover the rules of happiness.

True

This article originally appeared on 05.16.16

How excited would you be if you discovered that your guilty pleasures don't always need to make you feel guilty?

Like what if the blissful satisfaction you get from that slice of warm apple pie isn’t necessarily evidence of an intervention-level addiction to sugar and carbs (despite what that magazine cover told you) but could also just be a sign that you’re craving connection and feeling nostalgic?

Or that embarrassingly joyful feeling you have when small, random objects fit perfectly into another may not be a sign that you have obsessive compulsive disorder but just that you, like most people, really appreciate small moments of order in a chaotic world?

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happiness

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

1. Melissa McCarthy describes Halle Bailey’s endearing humming habit on ‘The Little Mermaid’ set

2. Uber Eats driver accidentally knocks over a porch planter and what followed is just good people all around.

3. Woman surprises boyfriend with his beloved grandmother, and his reaction is pure elation

4. Speaking of grandmas, try not to smile at this Italian 'Happy Birthday' performance for 95-year-old Nonna Franca

5. Couple recreates bride's parents' 'recovery day' photos by swapping bride and groom attire

6. 'Hotel California' performed on traditional Chinese guzheng is gorgeously hypnotic

7. Woman squeals in delight as raccoon proves that truly everyone runs on Dunkin'

8. South African youth choir pays moving tribute with Nightbirde's 'It's OK' and brings Simon Cowell to tears

9. Teacher wakes up to find the entire senior class sleeping in her house

10. Dance your way through the weekend with the energy of these two delightful dance partners

We've got a sweet little roundup of joy for you.

1. 'Heaven's Receptionist' is on TikTok and she's helping people cope with loss in a beautiful way

2. Kid has a plastic owl lawn ornament instead of a stuffed animal because kids are the best

3. Perfectly delivered Month-Python themed 'promposal' might just be the best ever

4. Puppy gives his point of view on the day of his adoption and it's adorably giggle-worthy

5. Family helps man who is afraid to go down an escalator and you might want a tissue for this

6. People stopping to dance in a 'Dance Here' circle is just a pure serotonin boost

7. Dog disrupts a soccer match to play with the ball and…well, just watch

8. Neighbor hears a woman's husband left her and gets emotional as he offers to cut her lawn

9. Baby goats jumping in slow motion to Tchaikovsky might just be the cure for what ails you

10. A good reminder to inspire and be inspired because we can all benefit from one another's positive energy

Being amazed by things outside ourselves is tremendous for our mental health.

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

1. Murphy, the bald eagle who adopted a rock as an egg, gets a real foster baby

2. Not only does she hit a line drive, but watch how she runs to first in style

3. Sandy Hook survivor was given a surprise law school scholarship by his favorite New York Ranger

4. Snoopy is a real dog, her name is Bayley and people can't get enough of her.

5. Stray dog chooses a young girl to be her human and the love is mutual

6. Young uncle finds out his nephew is named after him and his reaction is so pure

7. Kelly Clarkson had a touching exchange with Henry Winkler, who offered encouragement to her daughter with dyslexia

8. Here's to the wonderfulness of random, anonymous strangers

9. Doggo steps right into his outfit and absolute cuteness ensues

10. Let's roll into the weekend with the energy of this marathoner on a dance break

Upworthy's weekly roundup of delights

1. A teacher thought she was running to break up a fight. What greeted her was the exact opposite.

2. Family showing up on Day 31 after No-Baby-Visitors-for-30-Days rule expired is sheer joy

3. NICU nurse with a huge heart adopts a 14-year-old mom who gave birth to triplets

4. 3-year-old wakes up at 5:30 a.m. and immediately asks Alexa to play 'I'm Still Standing' so he can dance to it

5. A gift for Gen Xers: Check out this trip down old-school dance memory lane

6. This best man and groomsman supporting an emotional groom has people celebrating genuine friendship

7. Teenager performs a surprise haka for his mom at her college graduation

8. They surprised their 93-year-old grandma after not seeing her for three years and she's beyond thrilled

9. Cat aggressively adopts a new owner in a parking lot and finds a home with 'not cat people'

10. May we all receive the level of emotional support this guy gets from his good doggo

Upworthy's weekly roundup of joy

1. Professor's grad students surprised him with a silly response to his 'irrational fear' of hammerhead sharks.

2. A soon-to-be dad asked parents to share their favorite parts of parenting. The responses were beautiful.

3. Ever seen a bunch of parrots get tucked into bed with kisses and a bedtime story?

4. Two lonely geese found a second chance at love through a singles ad.

5. This tattoo is proof of the power of tea at grandma's house.

6. People are loving the way this mom handled her son's bedtime meltdown.

7. A 62-year-old fashionista is inspiring older women on TikTok with her sense of style.

8. Friends threw an epic party for their friend who got her U.S. citizenship.

9. Watching foxes hunt in the snow is as fascinating as it is entertaining.

10. Dance your way through the weekend with the smooth moves of this guy and…himself.

How excited would you be if you discovered that your guilty pleasures don't always need to make you feel guilty?

How excited would you be if you discovered that your guilty pleasures don't always need to make you feel guilty?

In other words, what if we could trace our feelings of happiness and satisfaction back to our brains and our humanity — and just a little farther away from the guilt-riddled land of right and wrong?

1. It's possible that our brain wiring has a lot to do with how happy we feel.

2. Some things that we're told "shouldn't" affect our happiness actually do — but not as much as we think.

3. Overall life satisfaction leads to longer life. (Duh.)