Savoring Worksheet
Learn to slow down and fully take in the good moments, before, during, and after, so positive experiences leave a deeper mark.
About this tool
Savoring is the practice of noticing, appreciating, and extending positive experiences, the deliberate counterpart to coping. Researchers Fred Bryant and Joseph Veroff, who developed the concept, describe it as the capacity to attend to, appreciate, and enhance the positive moments in life. Where most of us are fairly skilled at managing the bad, far fewer of us actively make the most of the good, which often passes by half-noticed.
Bryant and Veroff outlined savoring across three time frames. Anticipatory savoring is looking forward to something good and letting yourself enjoy the wait. In-the-moment savoring is being fully present while a good thing is happening, through your senses and attention. Reminiscent savoring is revisiting a positive memory deliberately to relive and prolong its warmth. Each can be practiced and strengthened.
Several concrete strategies help. Sharing a good experience with others, taking a mental photograph, slowing down to use all your senses, expressing your enjoyment outwardly, and consciously comparing the moment to harder times all amplify positive feeling. A common savoring-killer is rushing on to the next task or letting your mind run ahead. This worksheet helps you pick a moment and a strategy, so savoring becomes intentional rather than accidental.
- Bryant FB, Veroff J. Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 2007.
- Quoidbach J, Berry EV, Hansenne M, Mikolajczak M. Positive emotion regulation and well-being: comparing the impact of eight savoring and dampening strategies. Pers Individ Dif. 2010;49(5):368-373.
Savoring Worksheet FAQ
What is savoring?
Savoring is the deliberate act of noticing, appreciating, and extending positive experiences. It is the positive counterpart to coping: where coping helps us manage the bad, savoring helps us make the most of the good.
What are the three types of savoring?
Anticipatory savoring (looking forward to something good), in-the-moment savoring (being fully present as it happens), and reminiscent savoring (revisiting a positive memory to relive it).
What gets in the way of savoring?
Common savoring-killers include rushing to the next thing, multitasking, distraction, and mentally fast-forwarding. Slowing down and staying present is the core of the skill.
Is my information saved?
No. Everything stays in your browser. Your entries are never uploaded or stored, and the PDF is generated on your own device.