How big is Vatnajökull glacier?

It's Iceland's largest glacier, covering about 8% of the country.

What does research say about awe?

Research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology links awe to less focus on the self, with effects on generosity, ethical decisions and life satisfaction.

Do you always see the Northern Lights on the first night?

No. The aurora needs clear skies and solar activity on the same night, so plan to go out more than once. It can take several evenings.

Iceland for Burned-Out High Achievers: The Power of Awe

You run the team, carry the numbers, answer the late emails and sleep less than you'd admit. Maybe someone, a friend, a doctor, a therapist, has told you that you need a real break. Not a long weekend with your laptop. Something bigger than your inbox.

What can a week in Iceland do for a burned-out high achiever? Give her scale. A waterfall taller than her office, glacier ice older than her industry, and a sky that turns green without asking anyone's permission. The Northern Lights season runs September to March, and the waterfalls and glaciers are there every day.

Key facts

Northern Lights season: September to March, best from October to February. Clear, dark skies matter most.
The waterfall: Skógafoss on the South Coast, a 60-meter drop.
The glacier: our trip's three-hour guided hike is on Sólheimajökull, on the South Coast. Vatnajökull, the country's largest glacier, covers about 8% of Iceland.
Our trip: the Iceland Experience, with a South Coast day, a guided glacier hike and a Northern Lights tour.

If you experience "awe" mostly when the quarterly numbers come in, Iceland has a gentle correction for you.

The Science of Awe

According to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, experiences of awe decrease the emphasis on the individual self, with measurable effects on generosity, ethical decision-making, and life satisfaction.

The Waterfall

Travelers walking the path toward Skógafoss waterfall in late winter in south Iceland

Skógafoss is often where it starts. You stand near the base of a 60-meter waterfall, mist on your jacket, and it's hard not to notice that it's taller than most office buildings. Everything you've been carrying gets put into proportion.

It isn't sadness. It's recalibration.

The Glacier

Blue crevassed ice on Vatnajökull glacier under a pale sky in Iceland Photo: Niels Baars / Unsplash

On the South Coast day, you strap on crampons and a harness and walk onto Sólheimajökull with a guide. The ice under your boots fell as snow long before your company, your career or your industry existed. Ask the guide about it and listen. Problems that felt enormous on Monday start to look very small.

The Aurora

Green Northern Lights over snowy Kirkjufell mountain reflected in the sea in Iceland Photo: Landon Arnold / Unsplash

The Northern Lights don't run on your schedule. Our tour night is chosen from the forecast, and if the sky closes in, you can go out again on another night at no charge. That waiting is part of the lesson. Then, on a clear night, the sky turns green, sometimes purple and white too, and none of the meetings, launches or deadlines compare.

Put your phone in your pocket for a while and just look up. The tour photographer can take care of the pictures.

What You Take Home

The best souvenir from a trip like this is a habit. It might be a walk under old trees once a week, a real day off, or simply a reminder that you're not the main character. The universe is, and you're lucky enough to be in the scene.

If that sounds like the break you need, read why people cry under the Northern Lights and our 6-day Iceland itinerary. You deserve a week that's bigger than your inbox.

6X Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist with 65+ countries visited across all 7 continents.