By Chaylene Mataalii
I had a special experience with savoring that has changed my outlook on my life entirely. I used to think that being on the go 24/7 was a good thing because I was able to “get more done.” What I failed to realize was that my constantly busy lifestyle was depriving me of what I needed most: connection and understanding. There were days when I accomplished so much on paper, but had gotten little out of what I had done throughout the day. I wanted to not only live life, but value it as well. This is why, when I heard about savoring, I was all for it.
What is Savoring?
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Life is not a race, but indeed a journey”? Or, “Take time to stop and smell the roses”? Savoring is a positive psychology tactic that helps us to relive, live, and hope to live positive experiences in our life. There are three types of savoring: savoring past, present, and future. Savoring the present is quite simply living in the present, allowing yourself to recognize the present moment and delve into it, and giving yourself the opportunity to take in the positive feelings you are experiencing. Savoring the past is the ability to look back at a moment of happiness and appreciate it for what it is. Have you ever looked at a picture and remembered the exact moment that the picture was taken, and then smiled? That is what savoring the past is like! Lastly, there is savoring the future, which is about looking to the future with hope that it will be just as good as you expect it to be. For example, growing up, I was always excited about the first day of school. I always had my outfit picked out the night before, and would have dreams about what my teacher and class would be like. It helped me feel even better once the first day of school arrived.
Impacts of Savoring: Both Bad and Good
Now that we understand the types of savoring, it’s important to make sure we do them in a way that elicits positive emotions. For example, say that we are trying to savor a future event, but it ends up making us feel anxious as we imagine possible negative outcomes. What then? Or if we try to reminisce about the past and all it does is remind us of how the present is not as good as it once was? This doesn’t elicit positive emotions, which is why it’s important to ask yourself what type of savoring is right for you beforehand. You know yourself better than anyone else, and are capable of choosing a savoring method that will help you in the long run! In fact, studies have shown that when people practice savoring in their life, they are also less likely to experience depression. Savoring can also increase the amount of happiness we feel in day-to-day moments, even if the amount of happy moments remains the same!
How Do I Practice Savoring?
Because savoring is personal to each person, there are so many ways you can practice it! Here’s one of my favorite methods I use to savor, called the SCONE method. It can be used on nature walks, in classes, during moments alone, or when you are meditating.
S: Stop what you’re doing. When you feel like there’s a moment where you can practice savoring, stop what you’re doing in the moment to give yourself time to savor.
C: Consider the context. What is going on around you at that moment? Take it all in. How did it get there? What is happening? Embrace all of it.
O: Open your senses. Use your abilities to understand your context on a deeper level of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
N: Notice what you are thinking. When you are taking it all in, notice what thoughts are crossing your mind and what your senses have noticed.
E: Enjoy the moment. Allow yourself to feel good about stopping and doing what you did. Take it all in and remember what you felt during this small moment of savoring.
As you practice savoring, remember to be kind to yourself. Developing any new habit will take time and effort, and so will savoring. But just keep at it, and you’ll find yourself getting better at it over time. Each time you are creating a savoring moment, you are allowing yourself a positive experience that helps regulate your emotions. By slowing down, you are gaining more than when you were doing everything all at once.
For more information on savoring and ideas on how to practice it, check out our Savoring Module.