Let’s be honest. We all need a little more savoring in our life.
Yes, I am talking about slowing down to smell the roses.
I am talking about taking more than 8 minutes to scarf down a full meal that took an hour or more to prepare.
I am talking about really hugging the people you love, feeling their body against yours, not just giving them a quick, checklist item, squeeze, and then moving on with your day.
Feel your life, people! It’s whizzing right by you and you’re not taking it in. Wake up!
What is Savoring?
Per Merriam-Webster, the verb definition of savor is:
- to give flavor to (season)
- to have experience of (taste)
- to taste or smell with pleasure (relish)
- to delight in (enjoy).
When we hear the word savor, most people think about it in terms of food. We savor a juicy steak with family on a holiday or anniversary, a hearty bowl of warm soup on a frigid day, or that delicious brownie-al-a-mode as an indulgent, birthday treat.
Savoring, though, is a practice that can and should be more entrenched into our daily lives.
Becoming Conscious
When we savor, we are in the moment.
We are present as we do whatever it is that we are doing. We are consciously and intently absorbing and experiencing the moment we are in.
The act of savoring slows down our fast-paced, daily lives. In the moments of savoring, we are less likely to be spending time in the past or the future in our minds. We are not thinking about what happened at work earlier in the day or how we will manage to make it to tomorrow’s event on time given all the other items on the calendar.
Slowing down, consciously being present to savor, calms our nervous system, therefore allowing for “happy chemicals or hormones” to be generated and allowing for more happiness and fulfillment.
Savoring is the opposite of coping. Coping entails managing, minimizing, or tolerating stress or conflict. Coping entails having a negative experience. Savoring is having a positive experience, noticing it, and appreciating it. Savoring prolongs the enjoyment of such experiences.
It is the Little Things (and Big Ones, Too)
In my mid-twenties I was largely responsible for reviving a failed dot-com company that my employer purchased and felt had potential. One of my many roles in this experimental business was selling this newly designed and revived service to the appropriate customer base. My employer enrolled me in a Dale Carnegie Sales Training Class that would better equip me for some of the tasks I was responsible for. Boy, oh boy, I learned an enormous amount and had a wonderful experience in this class!
Beyond gaining valuable people skills, learning different levels of selling tactics, and forming an invaluable, life-long friendship with a classmate, there was another standout moment that had a great impact on me. The vibrant and boisterous instructor described himself as simple and grateful during his introduction to the class. Now, that does not sound profound, but this small example he gave to support his “simple and grateful” personality was ironically hugely impactful.
This instructor, with all his decades of life experience and wisdom, (get ready for this….) explained the excitement he feels when he opens a new tube of toothpaste! (Que the fireworks and celebration music, please.) Yes, that is right. Opening a new tube of toothpaste is exciting and joyous! And, just like my first time to realize this, you may have just had your own spark of excitement just thinking about it.
Big moments like your wedding day or the birth of your child are obvious events to want to savor. However, the everyday moments and experiences are the ones that stack together and pile up to create happiness, joy, and fulfillment.
Emotions Give Flavor to Life
Like spices you add to your food to give it flavor, emotions are the flavor you have in your life. Some are enticing. Some are not. Some are bold. Some are bland. Some are slightly spicy. Some are unbearable. Some are bitter. Some are sweet. Some are salty. Some of them you experience all alone. Some of them you combine for an ideal mixture. Some of them are your lean-on, go-to favorites. And, some of them you avoid at all cost.
Like in cooking, you get to pick the flavors in your life. Instead of letting someone else season your food, season it your damn self. Consciously, intentionally, pick the emotion you want to feel, and then feel it. You have permission.
Summon Your Senses
Savoring commonly uses the five senses: see, hear, feel, touch and taste. As you go through your hours and your days, activate your senses.
What can you hear going on around you? Listen deep. Hear beyond the obvious chatter. What all is there to hear?
Do you feel the air blowing or is it still?
What is the texture of the clothes you are wearing? What do your sheets feel like when you crawl into bed at night?
Is the taste or the smell of coffee more appealing to you?
I do not always live in a state of savoring, but I have made a habit to simply notice more and be more grateful for the everyday.
For instance, I often pay attention to the grass or the trees as I run in the evenings. I notice the breeze or feel the lack thereof. I often deliberately feel the steering wheel or the texture of my pants as I sit in traffic and feel grateful for having the opportunity to do so. Many days, I notice the mornings. I get to see its darkness and feel the heavy, humid air before the sun’s hot, light. And I always get excited to open a new tube of toothpaste!
I savor and feel gratitude for what is.
I would like to invite you to summon your senses and savor what is. Tell me, what do you savor and enjoy? What brings a rich, true, delight to your heart?