Savor the Moment
Last Sunday a friend invited me to her open studio art show. She’s only been painting for a few years, and this was her first official show, so she was understandably a little nervous about what to expect. But this woman is an optimist! “Even if I don’t sell a single painting, it will be a good experience”, she said.
At the end of the day while we relaxed on the patio, I asked her how many paintings she’d sold. (Sixteen!) As she recounted each purchase, describing the paintings and the people who bought them, we both marveled at how far she’d come from signing up for a single painting class a few years ago to feeling like a “real” artist with her own studio and commissions. She told me how her joy and passion for painting grew the more she did it and how much she loved using some of the tools she inherited from her grandma, who was also a painter.
As we laughed and reminisced and talked about what she would do with her earnings and what she wanted to paint next, it occurred to me we really were savoring that moment.
Which is great, because there’s lots of research to show that savoring is important to our wellbeing. In fact, it’s been shown to help boost wellbeing from positive experiences in everything from everyday life to long-distance relationships, and even surviving cancer. And savoring doesn’t just help us to get more out of our positive experiences; it also helps cushion the blow from negative experiences and ward off anxiety and depression.
So how do we do it?
Here are 7 ways to savor the moment.
Share it.
When something good happens to us, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, two of the neurotransmitters linked to happiness. When we relive that good event by telling a friend about it, we get the same boost of these little feel-good chemicals PLUS a hit of oxytocin, a.k.a. “the love hormone”.
Feel it.
Taking a few seconds to engage all your senses will help seal that moment in your memory. Was it warm and sunny or cold and brisk? What color was the sky? Could you hear the wind or see the fog or smell the wood smoke? For really big moments, spend a few minutes journaling about it.
Compare it.
Teddy Roosevelt said comparison is the thief of joy. I say phooey! (at least when it comes to savoring). Comparing the good experience to a not so good one is actually a great way to savor the moment. Taking a minute to look back on how far you’ve come or how you exceeded your expectations helps to savor your accomplishments.
Really get into it.
Try to turn off your thoughts and focus on the moment at hand. Don’t think about your to-do list. Forget about the laundry and the yard work and the dishes. Stop multitasking.
Take a mental picture.
Spend a few minutes taking in the moment and noticing things you want to remember later. Better yet, take an actual photo!
Pat yourself on the back.
Research shows that people who revel in their own success are more likely to enjoy the outcome. So go ahead and say it: “I’m so proud of myself!”
Get physical.
Expressing your positive emotions in a physical way like laughing out loud, clapping your hands, or jumping for joy sends a signal to the brain that something good just happened.
