Lifestyle medicine is now a recognized, esteemed, and practiced dimension of healthcare to assist patients in leading healthier lives and preventing chronic diseases. Healthcare providers frequently advise their patients on the fundamental elements of LM: movement, nutrition, sleep, stress management, connection, and avoiding harmful substances. These components are potent and have been validated as effective. However, after merging my experience as a physician and health coach to conduct group wellness travel experiences worldwide, I am convinced there is another significant element, one that is more challenging to quantify yet can be equally essential.

It is awe.

Awe is that “wow” experience when the world abruptly seems more expansive, and our role within it feels both smaller and more intertwined. It can occur while standing atop a mountain or observing the sky transform at dawn.

Emerging studies reveal that awe is not merely a delightful feeling: It is therapeutic. Research indicates that feeling awe can reduce inflammation indicators, calm the brain’s default mode network (associated with ruminating), and enhance prosocial actions. In one study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, even fleeting moments of awe resulted in decreased levels of interleukin-6, a prominent inflammation marker.

But here’s the crucial aspect for physicians concerning patient care: Awe can influence behavior. When we experience awe, we become more present, more inclined to look beyond our immediate discomforts, and more receptive to change. That alteration in viewpoint can transform healthy choices from burdensome obligations into enriching opportunities.

I frequently observe this when I guide wellness adventure trips. One traveler who had never adhered to an exercise regimen found herself hiking several times a week to prepare for her Andes journey, not out of discipline, but drawn by the majestic mountain views ahead. Once there, the awe she felt was profound and intense. She expressed appreciation for her preparation and, upon returning home, persisted with her training for her next journey. Another traveler, standing beneath a starlit sky in the Moroccan desert, discovered a tranquility she hadn’t experienced in years and returned home determined to carve out time for relaxation and connection.

The wonder of awe is that it doesn’t necessitate a passport. While travel offers abundant occasions for awe, it can also be discovered in our own homes and gardens. Vibrant autumn leaves, stars in a nighttime sky, an exquisitely delightful meal, or admiring a piece of art. As physicians, we can motivate our patients, as well as ourselves, to consciously seek out these moments. Not as luxuries, but as vital nutrients for mental, emotional, and even physical well-being.

We recommend movement, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and connection. Perhaps it is time we begin to prescribe awe as well.

Because in my experience, awe can ignite the strength of all the other pillars.

So here is my challenge to you: Identify one small thing that evokes a sense of awe for you—a perfect flower, a beautiful melody, the playfulness of a cherished pet. Whatever inspires that feeling for you. Observe how it affects your body and mind. That is the medicine we cannot inscribe on a prescription pad, but we can guide our patients, and ourselves, to incorporate into our daily lives.

*Stacey Funt is a physician and health coach.*