Savoring part 1: What is Savoring and how can it help me?

Now we probably recognize savoring as something we do with food; when we take a moment to enjoy and appreciate the taste. But this idea can be applied to anything in our lives. In positive psychology, they go further in the definition and there has been extensive research on different ways to savor and how it impacts your day-to-day happiness and wellbeing. Savoring is a technique that was developed as part of Positive Psychology, the scientific study of what makes life worth living, which is called “savoring”

According to Bryant, Chadwick and Kluwe, Savoring is defined as an activity that “involves the self-regulation of positive feelings, most typically generating, maintaining, or enhancing positive affect by attending to positive experiences from the past, present, or future”. They go on to define 4 different conceptual components; “savoring experiences, savoring processes, savoring strategies and savoring beliefs”. Each of these components involve active consciousness focusing on positive feelings created by specific stimuli, both internal and external.

Savoring experiences: this type of savoring is about mindfully enjoying experiences which can be further categorized into the below:

• World-focused: the source of positive feeling is external to oneself (e.g. viewing a sunset)

• Self-focused: the source of positive feeling is internal and originating within oneself (e.g. pride)

• Cognitive reflection: where one introspects on one’s subjective experience

• Experiential absorption: when one is perceptually engrossed

These 4 sub-categories can be combined to regulate different emotional states. Through a world-focused, experiential absorption process you may feel awe, or a self-focused, cognitive reflection may enhance your gratitude or self-confidence. You can target different feelings through different combinations and specific savoring activities.

Savoring process: this type of savoring is about enjoying the steps or process that you go through when doing something.

Savoring strategies: these are strategies used to enhance positive feelings. I have focused on 8 identified strategies:

• Behavioral display – expressing positive emotions with non-verbal behaviors

• Being Present - deliberately paying attention to the moment at hand

• Capitalizing – communicating and celebrating positive events outwardly with others

• Positive Mental Time Travel (Positive MTT) – by consciously and vividly remembering or anticipating positive events

Savoring beliefs: this type of savoring is about focusing on the positive beliefs to help enhance an experience. These can be divided based on time:

• Savoring the moment

• Savoring through reminiscence

• Savoring through anticipation

References:

Bryant, F. B., Chadwick, E. D., & Kluwe, K. (2011). Understanding the processes that regulate positive emotional experience: Unsolved problems and future directions for theory and research on savoring. International Journal of Wellbeing, 1(1), 107-126. doi:10.5502/ijw.v1i1.18

Bryant, F. B., Chadwick, E. D., & Kluwe, K. (2011). Understanding the processes that regulate positive emotional experience: Unsolved problems and future directions for theory and research on savoring. International Journal of Wellbeing, 1(1), 107-126. doi:10.5502/ijw.v1i1.18

Lambie, J. A., & Marcel, A. J. (2002). Consciousness and the varieties of emotion experience: A theoretical framework. Psychological Review, 109(2), 219–259

Gersema, M. (2007), "Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 880-884..

Quoidbach, J., et al. Positive emotion regulation and well-being: Comparing the impact of eight savoring and dampening strategies. Personality and Individual Differences (2010), doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.03.048

Adelmann, P. K., & Zajonc, R. B. (1989). Facial efference and the experience of emotion. Annual Review of Psychology, 40,249–280