Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Why Sunsets Can Calm the Mind by Evoking Awe
A sunset can do more than look pretty.
Watching the sky change colours may make people feel awe.
Awe can happen when something seems very big, beautiful, or hard to understand.
The article says research has linked awe to changes in stress, attention, and wellbeing.
Psychologist Dr Malini Saba says a sunset can help worries feel less central for a little while.
The experience may last only a few minutes.
The article describes this as one reason sunsets can feel calming.
Watching a sunset for five minutes can evoke more than fleeting pleasure.
The article links sunsets’ calming effect to awe.
Awe is described as a response to something vast, beautiful, and difficult to fully grasp.
Research on awe has linked it with changes in stress, attention, and wellbeing.
Psychologist Dr Malini Saba says watching a sunset can briefly push worries into the background.
- Who
- People watching a sunset; psychologist Dr Malini Saba comments on the experience.
- What
- Watching a sunset may evoke awe and briefly ease rumination.
- When
- The article says even five minutes of watching may have an effect.
- Where
- In front of the changing sky.
- Why
- The sunset may evoke awe, an emotion linked by research to changes in stress, attention, and wellbeing.
- Suggested viewing time
- Five minutes
- Emotion discussed
- Awe
- Research links awe with
- Changes in stress, attention, and wellbeing
- Expert quoted
- Dr Malini Saba
- Expert's field
- Psychology
- Foundation founded by Saba
- Saba Family Foundation