Small joys & savoring

Savoring can connect you to the past. Looking at photos, retelling a funny story or remembering a kind moment can bring back some of the good feeling.

This is the heart of savoring: pausing, noticing and enjoying. People tend to enjoy experiences most when they are fully absorbed in them.

Savoring can also reach into the future, for example imagining how you will remember a good day. Having something small to look forward to is a kind of joy too.

In that review, savoring practices raised positive states and lowered negative symptoms. The authors called savoring a simple practice that can be adapted to different cultures.

A review of nine studies in people with mental or physical health conditions found some gains in wellbeing and mood. But compared with other groups, the benefits looked relatively weak, and many studies were small or low quality.

Savoring is a gentle, everyday skill. It can sit alongside therapy and other support, but it does not replace them. It also doesn’t mean pretending to be happy.

In one study, students who focused on eating a piece of chocolate enjoyed it more than students who were distracted.

Try

• Feel warm water on your hands
• Listen to one song with your eyes closed
• Smell your coffee or tea before the first sip
• Taste the first bite of a meal slowly

Consciously noticing a moment you want to keep can help it stick. Look around, notice the details, and take it in for a few seconds longer than usual.

Children often do this naturally. Adults find it harder, partly because of phones and multitasking. Putting your phone away during a good moment can help.

Daily routines can pass by unnoticed. The NHS suggests choosing a regular moment, like your commute or a lunchtime walk, to really notice your surroundings.

Ideas

• A shower or bath
• Brushing your teeth
• Making a hot drink
• Walking to the bus or car

In several experiments, people who expressed their feelings while watching something funny enjoyed it more than people who held them in. What feels natural to show differs between cultures, and that is okay.

Ideas

• Keep a “good things” folder of kind messages
• Look through photos from a happy day
• Retell a funny family story at dinner
• Write a few lines about a moment you never want to forget

Imagining how you will enjoy, and later remember, something good is another way of savoring.

Small things to plan

• A call with someone you love
• A favorite meal on Friday
• A new episode or book
• A walk somewhere you haven’t been

Reminding yourself how quickly good moments pass can encourage you to enjoy them while they last. A last day of vacation or a child’s small hand in yours can feel more precious this way.

Even planning to tell someone can lift your mood. As Fred Bryant puts it, people who savor together stay together.

People who take a moment to enjoy their successes tend to enjoy the outcome more. In some cultures, praising yourself is less encouraged, so a quiet “well done” to yourself is just as good.

Try

• Ask questions: “How did it feel?”
• Send a quick “So happy for you!” text
• Share a meal or a small treat to mark it

Many small joys happen together: cheering for a team, singing in a choir, cooking for a holiday, or laughing with neighbors. Shared joy can help people feel they belong.

Ideas

• A big tree, old building or wide sky
• Clouds, stars or a sunset
• Music that gives you goosebumps
• Someone’s kindness or courage
• Tiny things up close: frost, a leaf, an insect

How to do it

1. Pick a short walk, even around the block.
2. Put your phone away, or just use it for one photo.
3. Look for things that are vast, new or surprising.
4. Pause when something catches your eye. Take a breath and take it in.

In one study, students who gave up chocolate for a week savored it more, and felt better after eating it, than students who ate as much as they liked.

The savoring walk practice suggests taking a different route each day so your surroundings don’t become too familiar. The NHS also suggests small changes, like sitting somewhere new, to see things freshly.

The more negative thoughts people have after something good happens, the less they enjoy it. When you notice a killjoy thought, try gently coming back to what went well.

Ideas

• A blanket that feels soft
• A pet resting nearby
• A sip of something warm
• Sunlight through a window
• The smell of rain

NIMH lists losing interest in things you usually enjoy, for two weeks or more, as one reason to seek professional help. This is not a personal failing, and support can help.

If you can’t feel much right now, just noticing is enough. For kinder ways to talk to yourself, see “Self-compassion & your inner critic.” For gratitude on hard days, see “Gratitude: what helps & what doesn’t.”

Fred Bryant notes that how openly people express joy, or praise themselves, varies between cultures. Quiet savoring is just as real as loud celebration.

Ideas

• A blessing or moment of thanks before a meal
• Cooking a family recipe
• Music, dance or stories from your culture
• Seasonal traditions and holidays

Children are often good at getting absorbed in the moment. Following their lead can help adults slow down too.

Family ideas

• A family photo wall of happy moments
• “Best part of today?” at dinner or bedtime
• Puddle jumping or cloud watching

Ideas

• A library book
• A park bench and people-watching
• A playlist of favorite songs
• A sunrise or sunset
• A voice note from a friend

Ideas

• A favorite scent
• A plant or flowers nearby
• A soft blanket or warm socks
• An audiobook or podcast
• Birds or sky out the window