What a Little Savoring Won’t Cure

Wow! Could it be? A whole year and some has passed since my last entry into the bloggosphere, and so much has happened I cannot believe I did not write about it. But that’s okay. I’ll forgive myself  and get on to reflecting and sharing now.

My last entry involved slowing down, smelling the roses and being grateful. Previously, I also wrote about Random Acts of Kindness and Self-compassion. What I was beginning to realize at that time was that my interest in psychology was resurrected, and a new focus on positive aspects was blooming. Now I’ve come to understand this field as Positive Psychology, and I have begun to immerse myself in it 110%

A New Perspective from which to Write

I’m committing to make this field and new perspective a central part of my life; going back to school and training as a Life Coach, with an emphasis on applying positive psychology findings to help people flourish.  I found positive psychology on my own, and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), which lead me to the 3rd World Congress on Positive Psychology this past June (2013). From that experience, I found Mentor Coach.com, and Master Classes and lectures with the big hitters in the field, and I am very grateful to be able to learn and grow from all these resources around me.  And I am preparing to give back… sharing some neat concepts that are scientifically based to increase well-being, positive emotion and life satisfaction.  All this through this blog, and through Happiness and Well-being Workshops that I hope to facilitate in the near future.

One concept I would like to focus on today is the power of savoring. The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley defines savoring as “the concept that being mindfully engaged and aware of your feelings during positive events can increase happiness in the short and long run.” However, further elaborated on by various scholars at the IPPA conference we find three types of savoring: retrospective (past events), concurrent (present events) and prospective (future events). Add one more variable to the concept, relational savoring (done with another person to enhance your present relationship) and you’ve got a recipe for increasing positive emotion in your life, aka, happiness, which affects your well-being on many levels (prolongs your life, reduces illness and stress and a whole lotta other benefits) all from the concept of savoring.

Examples of Savoring

I’ve built a savoring album on Facebook. It holds many memories– many that involve nature and loved ones– that I wish to savor– and savor with others. When I savor retrospectively, I think back on that time in that moment… trying to remember how the atmosphere felt; what my senses remember hearing, seeing, smelling, touching. If there was a loved on involved, I try to remember the interactions of the time and really dig deep to try to remember how I felt.  The picture below is from my savoring album. I took it on a walk I went on a couple of weeks ago. The morning was fresh, the grass smelled like it had just been groomed. The sky was beginning to show it’s face, having woken up from a restful night’s slumber. The hills in the distant were crisp, and I was thankful for these conditions. And I was also grateful that my knee (which does not have an ACL) was working, as were my other body systems, and I was happy. I felt blessed then, as I do right now, reliving it. Sooooo thankful for the weather here in San Diego… and being able to live here to experience it.

Currently, I sit here at my desk typing this post, with double french doors open to our courtyard that holds nature in place– plants such as giant birds of paradise, palm trees and other plants. I feel a slight breeze blow through the door opening and see the greenery reachable by a small walk. I close my eyes and hear the sound of birds chirping.  I look and see giant leaves swaying just a bit by the breeze.  What I smell is freshness– in the air and to the start to the day. I feel blessed to have this moment. (so quiet… especially since the kids are sleeping in since it’s the last Friday before school starts!).

Prosepectively, I am savoring a day to spend with my kids…. just to be. Since this is the last friday of Summer, I told them we would “play hookey” and do something fun all day. This is very much out of our norm, since everyday- even in the summer- involves chores and responsibilities. Today, we will take a day off from those things– and just be with each other. I’ve given them some options on how to spend the day. I will wake them  after posting this entry (because it’s 9:45am– that is plenty of time for a 16, 14 and 10 year old to sleep in), and check in to see where today will take us. I know this is our last summer with a 16, 14 and 10 year old. Next summer, they will be 17, 15 and 11. And I also will be a year old. Who knows what will happen in the coming year? Hopefully opportunities for growth… for us all. But for now, we will appreciate the day ahead of us. What a blessing it will be.

Savoring Challenge

One of my favorite books as of lately is “The How of Happiness” by Sonja Lyubomirsky. The author offers a few practical activities that involve savoring, worth checking out. One that I talk about above that is helping me remember and relive special moments is the savoring album. Today, I challenge you to do some savoring of your own. Create an online album, or even better, go through your older albums from years ago– when they weren’t digital. Try to think back to those moments. How was life different then? What didn’t you know, that you know now? What things brought the sparkle to your eye? What things held your interest? Take a moment and relive. Science shows, when you relive a special moment you build positive emotion, which builds resilience, and eventually a longer, happier life… one built on flourishing!