Wired For Wonder

By actively bringing wonder into your life you can experience more happiness and make your brain healthier at the same time.

- Jessica Lee

Do you do the same things day in and day out? Does life feel a little “same old, same old” and lacking in vibrancy? When was the last time you felt amazed by the world, yourself and those around you?

The dictionary defines wonder as “a feeling of amazement and admiration caused by something beautiful, remarkable or unfamiliar” or a “desire to know something; to be curious and to marvel”. There is so much wonder to be experienced, from the everyday to the extraordinary, but it requires a certain type of “seeing” that starts with developing a curious mindset.

How often do you seek out novelty and the unfamiliar? Playing it safe has a flow-on effect. In his article, Effects of Novelty and Danger on the Brain, Keith Hillman says, “A complete lack of novelty and excitement means that we aren’t testing ourselves, we aren’t learning, we aren’t growing ... and our performance and our health thus suffer as a result.”

By adopting a more wondrous and curious approach to life you can begin to experience more happiness, support your brain health and enhance your problem-solving skills. Being willing to engage in the unfamiliar allows you to become more sensitive to the wonder around you and sparks your brain in exciting ways.

Your curious brain

Dr Emrah Düzel, from the University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, says, “It is a well-known fact amongst scientists that the midbrain region regulates our levels of motivation and our ability to predict rewards by releasing dopamine in the frontal and temporal regions of the brain.

“We have now shown that novelty activates this brain area. We believe that experiencing novelty might, in itself, have an impact on our dopamine levels.”