Want a simple technique for enhancing mental and physical health while building resilience? Try savoring, an evidence-based way to tap into the power of positive life experiences.

As humans, we have a tendency to focus on the negative. In general, negative experiences get more of our attention. This tendency is known as our negativity bias. I’ve discussed it multiple times, here and here!

In fact, psychologist Rick Hanson often describes our brains as “Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.”[1] However, there are simple things we can do to decrease this tendency and positively impact our well-being. One technique is known as savoring.

What Is Savoring?

Savoring is a skill in which we attend to, appreciate, and enhance our positive life experiences.

There are three components at work here.

  • Attending: we give the experience our attention
  • Appreciating: we feel gratitude for the positive experience
  • Enhancing: we dig deeper into what we like or enjoy about the experience

How Savoring Boosts Well-Being

There is considerable research that savoring positively impacts both physical and mental health.[2] Among other areas, savoring can have a positive effect on:

  • Depression and anxiety
  • Happiness and life satisfaction
  • Cancer and disability
  • Aging
  • Relationships

In addition, studies have shown that savoring can improve resilience. [3] In one study, savoring decreased negative affect, or negative feelings. This effect was even stronger for mothers with high anxiety.[4]

In another study, for those who experienced a stressful life event in the past year, savoring was correlated with healthier, positive coping mechanisms.[5] In other words, it can be used as a coping response to help us engage in positive behaviors and experience better psychological adjustment.

How To Practice Savoring

As I stated, savoring is a skill. This means we can learn to use it. Here are three ways to practice:

  • Narrate it: The next time you catch yourself experiencing something positive, act as a narrator in order to enhance the experience. Describe out loud what you are experiencing and what you enjoy about it. This forces you to give the experience more of your attention. You might even try explaining it to a friend or family member.
  • Write about it: Think about something you enjoyed recently. Write out the experience as if you’re describing it to somebody else. Include detail so the hypothetical reader can understand from your perspective. As I described here, writing can help us to process experiences at a deeper level and enhances learning.
  • Come to your senses: When you notice something enjoyable, spend a minute giving each of your five senses your attention. Think about what you see that you like or enjoy. Is there a lovely scent in the air? How does your experience feel to the touch? What sounds are you hearing? Is there a flavor or a taste that you’re particularly enjoying right now? Answering these questions helps you to process the information deeper and enhances your experience.

For more on how your five senses can ground you when feeling anxious, read this!

A Note of Caution

Keep in mind, savoring is not about toxic positivity. We’re not creating a positive experience if there isn’t one. Nor are we denying the fact that some things in life are terrible.

We’re simply training ourselves to tap into all the good that’s already around us and the things that we already enjoy. There’s a lot of power in our positive life experiences that often goes unnoticed in our hectic, distracted lives. Savoring helps us pay attention to these experiences.

Small Changes, Big Transformation

Savoring, or processing these positive experiences more deeply, can boost positive affect and build our resilience.  It is one small change we can make to prioritize our health and build resilience. It’s a great example that wellness doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Give this practice a try this week and let me know how it goes!

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[1]https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_slow_down_and_savor_the_holidays

[2] Bryant, F. B. (2021). Current progress and future directions for theory and research on savoring. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 771698.

[3] Smith, J. L., and Hollinger-Smith, L. (2015). Savoring, resilience, and psychological well-being in older adults. Aging Mental Health 19, 192–200. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2014.986647

[4] Pereira AS, Azhari A, Hong CA, Gaskin GE, Borelli JL, Esposito G. Savouring as an Intervention to Decrease Negative Affect in Anxious Mothers of Children with Autism and Neurotypical Children. Brain Sciences. 2021; 11(5):652. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050652

[5] Samios, C., Catania, J., Newton, K., Fulton, T., and Breadman, A. (2020). Stress, savouring, and coping: The role of savouring in psychological adjustment following a stressful life event. Stress Health 36, 119–130. doi: 10.1002/smi.2914