What is "savoring"

Savor \Sa"vor\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Savored; p. pr. & vb. n. Savoring.] [Cf. OF. savorer, F. savourer. See Savor, n.]

1. To have a particular smell or taste; -- with of.

2. To partake of the quality or nature; to indicate the presence or influence; to smack; -- with of.

   This savors not much of distraction.
   --Shak.

   I have rejected everything that savors of party.
   --Addison.

3. To use the sense of taste. [Obs.]

   By sight, hearing, smelling, tasting or savoring, and feeling.
   --Chaucer.

n. The act by which something is savored. vb. (present participle of savor English)

n. taking a small amount into the mouth to test its quality; "cooking was fine but it was the savoring that he enjoyed most" [syn: tasting, savouring, relishing, degustation]

Savoring is the use of thoughts and actions to increase the intensity, duration, and appreciation of positive experiences and emotions. It is a topic commonly studied in the domain of positive psychology. It can also be referred to simply as the up-regulation of positive emotions. Traditional psychology attempts to develop methods of coping and dealing with negative emotions. Positive psychology uses the concept of savoring as a way to maximize the potential benefits that positive experiences and emotions can have on peoples' lives. The opposite of Savoring is known as dampening. Dampening is a method of dealing with positive affect by trying to feel worse, or down-regulate positive emotions.

Fred Bryant, a social psychologist at Loyola University Chicago, is considered to be the father of savoring research. He introduced the concept of savoring as being mindfully engaged and aware of one's feelings during positive events. By being engaged one can increase happiness in both the short and long run. So savoring is not merely the experience of positive emotions, but the deliberate effort to make a positive experience last.