Unit 4: Savouring

Throughout this course you are introduced to some of the ways you can boost your happiness and wellbeing, and that of your children, using six key themes that have been shown to improve wellbeing through the way we think about the past, present and future potential.

The third of these six themes is illustrated in the diagram below.

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A diagram with three boxes across the top saying past, present and potential. Below these boxes are six circles, grouped in pairs. Below the box saying past, the two circles say character srengths and gratitide. Below present, the circles say savouring and kindness. Below potential, the circles say hope ans meaning. All of the boxes and circles are greyed out except for present and savouring.

For this third theme, you are shown some practical activities that you can try at home. The benefits of these have all been supported scientifically and can be attempted by yourself during the course. They can also be adapted to work with children of all ages within the home. Being a good role model to our children is also a great way to help enhance their wellbeing.

So far, the first three units have looked at areas in positive psychology that can improve our wellbeing with an emphasis on how we think about the past.

In this fourth unit, we move you towards an emphasis on the present by introducing you to this next theme of savouring.

Many families have found in recent years that their lives feel very hectic and busy. Perhaps you may feel like this at times and find yourself feeling that you are spreading yourself too thinly over the day.

Modern technology has enabled the world to become more ‘instant’ and this can increase pressures on families to balance work, home and social life. This can lead to feeling that you are not achieving many things well and that you are missing out on living life fully as you don’t have time to ‘take it all in’.

Many families look forward to the weekend or a longed-for holiday to take the time to slow down, relax and savour time together. This process allows individuals to pause and feel more positive emotions in the present moment.

Researchers in the field of positive psychology have found that making an effort to consciously carry out savouring exercises can help individuals to create an increasing spiral of positive emotions and experience more of the richness of life. This can expand your thoughts and behaviours, promoting creativity, social connection and resilience.

Savouring is the name for a simple practice involving trying to enjoy, feel, appreciate and extend the positive emotions of your experience. It is common to use our five senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste to savour something that gives us pleasure. Many experiences in life can be savoured, from nature, art, sport, entertainment, reading, eating and creating.

Numerous benefits have been found through research studies in recent years in those who practice savouring on a regular basis. The diagram above highlights some of those benefits.

Savouring has been shown to enhance more positive emotions and build relationships as well as helping to protect against negative emotions. This can be of particular help when dealing with stressful situations within the family.

A leading researcher into savouring, Professor Fred Bryant at Loyola University Chicago, suggests that savouring is the “glue that bonds people together, and it is essential to prolonging relationships. People who savour together stay together”.

There has been some preliminary research on mothers and children that found children may model their ways of savouring on their mothers.

This may suggest that if adult family members are practising savouring and seeing benefits, their children may copy them and also experience these positive effects.

You can try diverse ways of savouring in your daily life that can help you to experience different emotions.

Going outside for a walk is a very simple way to experience savouring.

It also has other benefits that boost wellbeing, such as exercise, exposure to the sun, fresh air etc., so is an excellent way to boost your mood.

Mealtimes in families can be rushed and fraught when trying to accommodate different preferences.

The next activity offers an opportunity to slow down and develop a more compassionate and nourishing relationship with food.

Here is another exercise that can be carried out to help you and your family to find more moments to savour, particularly when feeling overwhelmed and in need of comfort.

It also offers the opportunity to practise the character strength of kindness to others if given as a gift.

In this unit you have explored the benefits of slowing down and looked at some ideas to help you feel motivated to take time to savour the little moments in life to feel more present.

In the next unit, you continue with this focus on being more present by exploring the subject of kindness.

Now go to Unit 5: Kindness, where you explore the fourth of our six principles.

References

Bryant, F. (2003) 'Savoring Beliefs Inventory (SBI): A scale for measuring beliefs about savouring', Journal of Mental Health, 12(2), pp.175-196.

Bryant, F. B. & Veroff, J. (2007) Savoring: A new model of positive experience, Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Bryant, F.B. (2021) ‘Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring’, Frontiers in psychology, 12, pp. 771698–771698. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.771698.

Camgoz, S.M. (2014) 'The role of savoring in work-family conflict', Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 42(2), pp.177-188.

Chen, J. & Zhou, L. (2017) 'Savoring as a moderator between positive life events and hopelessness depressio', Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 45(8), pp.1337-1344.

Fredrick, J.W., Mancini, K.J., & Luebbe, A.M. (2019) 'Maternal enhancing responses to adolescents’ positive affect: Associations with adolescents’ positive affect regulation and depression', Soc. Dev, 28, 290–305. doi: 10.1111/sode.12326.

Moran, K.M., Root, A.E., Vizy, B.K., Wilson, T.K., & Gentzler, A.L. (2019) 'Maternal socialization of children’s positive affect regulation: Associations with children’s savoring, dampening, and depressive symptoms', Soc. Dev, 28, 306–322. doi: 10.1111/sode.12338.

Smith, J.L. & Bryant, F.B. (2017) Savoring and well-being: Mapping the cognitive-emotional terrain of the happy mind. In The happy mind: Cognitive contributions to well-being , pp. 139-156, Springer, Cham.

Smith, J.L. & Hollinger-Smith, L. (2015) 'Savoring, resilience, and psychological well-being in older adults', Aging and Mental Health, 19(3), pp.192-200.

Tugade, M.M. & Fredrickson, B.L. (2007) ‘Regulation of Positive Emotions: Emotion Regulation Strategies that Promote Resilience’, Journal of Happiness Studies, 8(3), pp. 311–333. doi:10.1007/s10902-006-9015-4.

Zautra, A.J., Affleck, G.G., Tennen, H., Reich, J.W. & Davis, M.C. (2005) 'Dynamic approaches to emotions and stress in everyday life: Bolger and Zuckerman reloaded with positive as well as negative affects', Journal of Personality, 73(6), pp.1511-1538.