Savoring: A Positive Psychology Practice for Mindfulness and Emotional Well-Being

Sep 19

Savoring is a practice from positive psychology that involves intentionally noticing, appreciating, and staying with a pleasant, meaningful, or nourishing experience. It is more than simply having a good moment; it involves paying attention while something is happening, revisiting it later, or looking forward to it with warmth. Peer-reviewed research suggests that people can strengthen their capacity to notice and extend positive emotion. Additionally, studies have linked savoring practices with well-being, resilience, and emotion regulation (Bryant, 2003; Bryant, 2021; Hurley & Kwon, 2012; Quoidbach et al., 2010; Smith & Hanni, 2019).

To practice savoring, choose one experience and slow it down on purpose. You might notice the taste of food, the feeling of sunlight, a kind interaction, a favorite song, the relief of sitting down, or the memory of something that mattered. Let yourself take in the sensory details, name what you appreciate, and stay with the experience for a few extra breaths. Savoring is not about clinging to pleasure, avoiding pain, or demanding happiness; it is a way of helping pleasant or meaningful moments register more fully, especially when stress, worry, depression, or busyness make them easy to miss. The goal is to let moments of goodness count.

Reminder

Pleasant moments are allowed to be brief, imperfect, and mixed with other feelings. A moment does not have to be joyful, profound, or long-lasting to matter. Sometimes savoring simply means noticing one small source of comfort, beauty, relief, connection, or meaning before moving on.

You do not have to hold onto the experience forever for it to be worthwhile. The practice is to let the moment land while it is here without turning it into pressure, performance, or proof that you should feel better than you do.

References

Bryant, F. B. (2003). Savoring Beliefs Inventory (SBI): A scale for measuring beliefs about savouring. Journal of Mental Health, 12(2), 175-196. https://doi.org/10.1080/0963823031000103489

Bryant, F. B. (2021). Current progress and future directions for theory and research on savoring. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.771698

Hurley, D. B., & Kwon, P. (2012). Results of a study to increase savoring the moment: Differential impact on positive and negative outcomes. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(4), 579-588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-011-9280-8

Quoidbach, J., Berry, E. V., Hansenne, M., & Mikolajczak, M. (2010). Positive emotion regulation and well-being: Comparing the impact of eight savoring and dampening strategies. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(5), 368-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.03.048

Smith, J. L., & Hanni, A. A. (2019). Effects of a savoring intervention on resilience and well-being of older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 38(1), 137-152. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464817693375

Z. Hamilton Avery

Z. Hamilton Avery, LCSW, BC-TMH, CMT, CYT-1,000, TIYT (he/they) is a queer and non-binary therapist, health educator, wellness coach, body and energy worker, yoga and meditation teacher, and abstract artist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to having obtained over a dozen certifications in various modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Z holds an associate’s degree in pre-nursing studies, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in social work. When supporting clients and students, Z takes a humanistic, person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. Their practice is grounded in compassion, harm reduction, inclusivity, social justice, and evidence-based interventions. Ultimately, Z’s mission is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for adolescents (13+) and adults who are navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, pain, and chronic illness; he does this by offering sessions, classes, groups, workshops, retreats, and trainings.

Understanding that mental health is interconnected with many other facets of life, Z takes a holistic approach to therapy. Knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, he strives to honor the uniqueness of each client by custom-tailoring his approach to best meet the needs, preferences, and goals of each individual. For this reason, Z believes that it is imperative to be cross-trained in many different treatment approaches. As a therapist, they utilize a variety of evidence-based practices, including motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and written exposure therapy (WET). As a body and energy worker, Z is certified to practice massage therapy, Thai yoga massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and reiki. They are also certified in both Chinese and Japanese styles of acupuncture. After completing more than 1,000 hours of accredited yoga teacher training (primarily in India), Z is certified to teach various styles of yoga, including Hatha, Kundalini, yin, and restorative. He also researches and writes about topics including stress, trauma, self-care, mindfulness, self-compassion, holistic health and well-being, CAM, HIV/AIDS, and issues related to the Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, agender, plus (2SLGBTQIA+) community.

https://www.therapywithz.com

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