Repetitive Negative Thinking (RNT) is a well-known maladaptive emotion regulation strategy, that has been identified as a key vulnerability and maintaining factor for a wide range of mental disorders, including depression. RNT is defined as ‘excessive and repetitive negative thinking about current concerns, problems, past experiences or worries about the future’ (p. 192; Ehring & Watkins, 2008). Since RNT leads to enduring negative thoughts (Lydon-Staley et al., 2019), it has been typically linked to one of the two core features of depression, namely disturbances in negative affect experience (i.e., depressed mood). In other words, RNT can be understood as a cognitive process keeping levels of negative affect elevated given the persistent attention that is paid to negative thoughts and feelings. The other core feature of depression is blunted average levels of positive affect or, in clinical terms, anhedonia. Anhedonia is defined as the loss of interest or pleasure in usual pleasurable activities (APA, 2013). In contrast with disturbances on the negative affective side of depression (and RNT as an important underlying mechanism thereof; see above), less is known about anhedonia and underlying mechanisms via which it may be targeted. Nevertheless, one promising way to act on anhedonia is via dampening, a way of regulating positive affect where an individual downplays positive emotions (Nelis et al., 2018; Dunn, 2017) using thoughts like ‘I don’t deserve this positive feeling’ or ‘This positive feeling won’t last’ (Yilmaz et al., 2019). Dampening has been associated with depressive symptoms and anhedonia, on a cross-sectional and, though to a lesser extent, on a prospective level (e.g., Feldman et al., 2008; Nelis et al., 2015; Nelis et al., 2018; Raes et al., 2012; Raes et al., 2014; Werner-Seidler et al., 2013). In addition, preliminary evidence exists suggesting the unique and independent contribution of both strategies in the prediction of depressive symptoms (McEvoy et al., 2018). Beside the importance of further illuminating the unique role of dampening for both depression in general and anhedonia in particular, exploring possible paths to alter the use of dampening thoughts deserves research attention as well. One possible path to (simultaneously) mitigate RNT and dampening is to explore the involvement of the positive emotion awe. In positive emotion research, almost two decades ago, researchers’ attention was attracted by the role of the emotion awe (Keltner & Haidt, 2003), defined as ‘a state of wonder and amazement that directs attention away from self and towards the environment’ (p. 2; Lopes et al., 2020). Feelings of awe can be felt in response to a diversity of experiences, but in Westerns societies contact with nature (or objects of nature) is probably one of the most common phenomena that can induce feelings of awe (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). Prior research has already demonstrated that spending time in nature can lead to significant mood improvements and even cause decreases in in rumination (i.e., a prototypical example of RNT; e.g., Bratman et al., 2015; Bratman et al., 2021; Lopes et al., 2020; Tost et al., 2019). There is also evidence suggesting that mood improvements after contact with nature stem from the awe-evoking characteristics of nature (Joy & Bolderdijk, 2015). However, evidence on the specific relation between awe and the use of dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies remains scarce. One recent study (Lopes et al., 2020), showed that feelings of awe, experienced during a walk, lowered negative affect, which in turn lead to reduced levels of rumination. The role of negative mood reduction, though, appeared to be of greater importance compared to the contribution of awe. With this study we want to investigate the involvement of feelings of awe – elicited by watching a nature clip on a daily basis – in the improvement of subjective happiness levels (1), as well as in the reduction of RNT and dampening thoughts (2). Concerning the first research question, we want to examine whether feelings of awe, induced by a low-threshold and non-invasive intervention (i.e., watching a short nature movie clip on a daily basis), can lead to greater mood improvement (i.e., increase in subjective happiness) compared to the benefit of contact with nature that does not elicit feelings of awe (or at least only to a lesser extent). As to the second research question, we expect that feelings of awe carry the potential to break the vicious circle of (habitually) engaging in negative patterns of thoughts (i.e., RNT), as well as to lower the use of, often automatic and habitual, dampening thoughts. That is, by transcending the boundaries of the self and directing attention away from the self and toward the environment, awe may counteract RNT and dampening thoughts, which are typically thoughts focused on the self. Translated to the clinical context, if awe appears to be an underlying ‘working mechanism’ for the beneficial effect of contact with nature – in terms of mood improvement (i.e., subjective happiness) and/or disengagement in dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies (i.e., decreases in RNT and dampening) – then this knowledge can inspire the way current interventions like activity scheduling (as part of behavioral activation) are designed (e.g., preferably awe-inducting activities). In addition, non-invasive, low-threshold awe-inducing interventions can be easily implemented in current depression treatments. This would broaden the ‘affective focus’ of current treatments, now mainly focused on reducing elevated levels of negative affect, and in that way, contribute to the trend of paying more attention to raising low levels of positive affect (directly or indirectly). It may be especially valuable in early stages of treatment, as little efforts are needed from patients to engage in such interventions, while mood improvement (following from contact with nature) is optimized. With regards to emotion regulation, awe-inducing interventions may be implemented to create room for adopting a more functional palette of emotion regulation strategies, as well as to teach patients to leave the beaten track of (automatic) dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies. [ See: osf.io/cg7tp+ update: information exclusion criteria ]