Too often we take the current moment we’re in for granted. Other times we don’t even notice the moment because our minds are stuck in some other time like dwelling in the past or thinking about the future. How many moments are we going to let slip by in our lives? This question is an important one to ask ourselves. It puts these seemingly insignificant moments into perspective.
“Savoring” is defined by Dr. Laurie Santos, a professor from Yale University, as “the act of stepping outside of an experience to review and appreciate it.” Essentially, it is a way of mindfully being in and appreciating the present moment. When you’re on vacation in the mountains or simply having a nice morning coffee at home, we can choose to savor the moment by looking inwards and realizing how we are feeling. Are we happy? Excited? Relaxed? We can take the time to appreciate the experience we are having in that very moment and practice gratitude. Savoring enhances our happiness, allowing it to last longer. As in a previous article in which I described “hedonic adaptation,” or getting used to things and becoming unhappy with them, savoring starts you higher on the hedonic curve, which means the happiness it brings you will last longer. While we may be having a good time regardless, taking the time to stop and really savor it can make the experience that much greater. Savoring also helps us create lasting positive memories which will prolong our happiness and give us something to look back on when we need a pick-me-up.
Here are some ways from a study by Jose et al (2012) that you can use to enhance your savoring practice:
- Talk to another person about how good your experience is
- Look for other people to share it with to amplify the experience
- Think about how lucky you are and express gratitude that you are able to have this experience
- Think about how you will share it later with others
- Show physical expressions of energy such as jumping around
- Laugh or giggle
- Tell yourself how proud you are
- Think only about the present and get absorbed in it
On the other hand, there are many habits that we all have done that take away from our ability to savor the moment, which decreases our happiness. This study specifically mentioned:
- Focusing on the future or when the experience is over
- Reminding yourself that this experience will be over soon
- Telling yourself that what you’re experiencing isn’t as good as you hoped
- Reminding yourself that nothing lasts forever
- Thinking about how it would never be this good again
- Thinking about ways it could be better
- Telling yourself you don’t deserve it
You can see the pattern here. When it comes down to it, savoring is mindfulness and gratitude tied into one. The key is to be in the present moment and to appreciate everything about it. The next time you notice you are feeling happy or relaxed, try to savor the moment with the tips in this article. Leave a comment to tell me about how you savored a good experience and how it made you feel!
