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When you hear something new, you may think: “That’s interesting.” But when you hear the same thing multiple times from different sources, you might think: “I need to take note of this.” That’s what happened to me with the idea of savoring. 

I heard it first from author and speaker, Mel Robbins, while watching several of her short YouTube segments. I also heard about it from the healthy habits program that’s helping me lose weight and maintain a healthy mindset. And then I heard about it again during a webinar I attended at work. My conclusion: “There must be something to this, and I ought to try it.” 

What is savoring?

Savoring is a type of mindfulness that allows you to use all your senses – taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound. It’s about slowing down and noticing – becoming aware of what’s happening around you and appreciating the goodness. The appreciation is what counts.  Savoring allows us to fully enjoy our experiences and prevents us from letting them pass by unappreciated.

According to positivepsycholpedia.com, it’s defined as “the capacity to attend to, appreciate, and enhance the positive experiences in your life.” When we savor, we’re having positive feelings and we’re aware of them.

Examples

Mel Robbins described many items she has in her dining room that bring her joy and that she appreciates. For example, she mentioned her crystal chandelier over the table that, for a brief time every afternoon when the sun shines through the crystals, sprays rainbow prisms all over the walls. To her, it’s a beautiful sight. 

She also mentioned chairs at her dining table that were in her mom’s home when her mom was a child. They are antiques and special, and she thinks of her mom every time she sits in them. 

Finally, she mentioned a wall of printed photographs, also in her dining room, that hold really special memories for her family. She savors the memories each time she looks at them, which is why she keeps them in a visible location.  

My healthy habits program talked about savoring in terms of eating your favorite foods. On this program, there’s no deprivation. It’s about consistently making healthier choices, which means occasionally, you can have your favorite foods – being careful not to overdo it. So at Christmas time, my health coach advised that if I wanted to have my favorite Christmas cookies or a slice of apple pie, I should take just a few bites and really savor them. She encouraged me to be mindful of the taste, smell, sensation in my mouth, and enjoy! Scientifically, it’s proven that if you do this mindfully, after just three bites your need or desire for the food will be completely satisfied. You can save yourself the calories of the whole slice or the whole cookie by savoring just those first three bites! It works, too! 

And, lastly, the webinar I attended was about Happiness. The presenter shared several ways we can all achieve more happiness in our lives. Things like cultivating optimism, nurturing relationships, avoiding social comparison, and practicing acts of kindness. Another one was savoring life. 

The science behind it

The webinar presenter described the science behind savoring all sorts of experiences in our lives, and shared the tremendous benefits for our bodies, too. She mentioned one scientific experiment in which participants had their blood drawn and were then asked to go into a room for 15 minutes. While in the room, they were instructed to simply notice all the things around them. To pay attention to themselves and their surroundings using all five of their senses. After the 15 minutes were up, they had their blood drawn again. The comparison of the blood work before and after revealed significant decreases in stress levels and negative hormones within the body! That’s amazing!

So easy to do

Other mindfulness activities have been proven to do the same. For example, practicing yoga, writing in a gratitude journal, and getting out in nature provide similar benefits. But those are not for everyone. In contrast, this practice of mindfulness through savoring is so easy and is for everyone because anyone can do it, any time! You just need to be intentional about remembering to incorporate it into your day. 

Four types of savoring

As I researched this topic further, I found there are 4 types of savoring. Positivepsyclopedia.com says they are:

• Luxuriating, which involves pleasure, such as climbing into a warm bath, with the aroma of bath balms and soaps, and the soft glow of candle light. True luxury, right?
• Marveling, which involves awe. Such as when we see the vastness of the ocean, the span and greatness of a mountain range, or the sight of a beautiful, color-filled sunset.
• Basking, which involves reflection on past accomplishments or achievements and the sense of pride we feel for ourselves or others.
• Thanksgiving, which involves gratitude and the outward expression of it.

You can also savor the past through reminiscing, and savor the future through anticipating.

What do you savor? 

I asked myself this question after hearing all of these different sources talk about this idea. I quickly realized the number of things I can savor is endless, which excites me. Just this morning, I savored my hot shower, the quiet time I had to write this blog post, and the cup of coffee I drank while doing so, which was fixed just the way I like it. 

I know I’ve previously savored the three bites of my favorite foods, the beautiful hay fields and woods on our farm when out for long walks, and the sound of my daughter’s laughter when she’s watching a hilarious TV show.

I also especially enjoy the few minutes of complete and total relaxation at the end of my one-hour yoga classes in which my friends and I all lay flat on our yoga mats and let our bodies rest and recover and take in the goodness from our practice. It’s wonderful! 

I’ve even started to savor those first few moments when I climb into bed at night and snuggle under the warm, fuzzy blankets on the soft mattress. With a few deep breaths, I let the tension and stress of the day flow out of my body and the worries flow out of my mind, and I settle in for a great night’s sleep. 

It’s the little things

The older I get (and I can say that now that I’m over 40), the more I come to realize that this life really is all about the little things. So let’s slow down, notice them, take them in, and truly savor them! Small moments coupled with big appreciation leads to health and happiness benefits you don’t want to miss out on! 

If you’d like to learn more, check out Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience by Fred B. Bryant and Joseph Veroff. I have not yet read it, but may have to because I just love this idea of savoring!

Your turn

Give it a try and let me know how it goes. Comment below with your experience or what you enjoy savoring, or send an email to yoursintentionally@yahoo.com. You know I love to hear from you!

Yours Intentionally, Amanda