What is Savoring?
When we think of savoring, we usually think in terms of food and taste. You savor something you find delicious, like caramel on ice cream or salty French fries, and revel in letting the taste linger on your tongue and in your mouth. You might even utter a satisfied “yum,” but did you know you can also savor a moment?
Focus on a Positive Emotion
We can engage savoring in multiple ways. Focus on a positive memory, either internal or external, like having a laugh with a friend or anticipating an event like a special dinner or a vacation and amplify that moment. Recent studies published in The Journal of Neuroscience suggest that even short bursts of positive emotions and feelings in specific areas of the brain can help build neural pathways that may make you feel happier. This kind of joy can last for hours while decreasing negative emotions and depression.
Learn to Savor Every Moment
When we add a dash of savoring to our daily routine it can help us counteract the natural human tendency to focus more attention on the negative things in our lives than on the positive things. Lingering in positive experiences and luxuriating in happy thoughts can increase creativity, improve sleep and even strengthen our immune systems. Coping skills help diminish the effects of painful moments, while savoring helps amplify the beauty of joyful ones. Learning to savor the moment is the best recipe for living a happy, and more delicious, life.
