44. The Art of Savoring Your Past Without Getting Stuck There

In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring. This element is a powerful antidote for chronic busyness and feelings of overwhelm. And maybe best of all... it's pretty easy to do. And offers quick benefits. We're talking about savoring the past in this episode, one of the three types of savoring (the others are savoring the present and future). We'll also address a few obstacles to this element of savoring (e.g., getting stuck in repetitive thoughts about the past or glory day living).   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, anxiety, and depression. It's hosted by integrative psychiatrist Dr. Henry Emmons and holistic mental health researcher Dr. Aimee Prasek. The podcast is best paired with the Joy Lab App. Bonus: spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible). Listen & follow the Joy Lab Podcast on your favorite listening app: Spotify | Apple | YouTube Key Takeaways: Savoring has been defined "as attending, appreciating, and enhancing positive experiences that occur in one's life" (Bryant & Veroff).  Change doesn't always have to be so hard. Savoring is a tool to help us unlock that pathway of change. Practicing savoring can help us work with our dopamine system in really insightful ways. We can learn how to gain back some control and practice more nourishing skills that bring us pleasure.   Three types of savoring were noted by Bryant and Veroff: Savoring the past (also called reminiscing in the research), savoring the present, and savoring the future (also called anticipation in the research). All of these are associated with positive shifts in mental and physical health. Choose your favorite(s)!  Two commonly discussed emotional regulation strategies are cognitive reappraisal and effective suppression. We think savoring is another that should be discussed more as it works even earlier in an emotion timeline and requires less effort.  We can savor the past without getting locked into it.  Key strategy for savoring the past: Three good things. Here's how to do it: Find a place where you can relax. When you're settled, ask yourself to remember 3 events that were really positive. Write them down if you can and take some time to remember each of them. Then, for each one, reflect on some more details... Why did this happen? What were the circumstances? What was your role in it? Who else was involved and what part did they play in making it happen? End with some deep breaths as you savor any other positive feelings that rise up in your thoughts and in your body.   Links and Sources Mentioned: Joy Lab (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Classic book on Savoring (Bryant and Veroff) Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring (2021) Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (Amy Krouse Rosenthal)  Amy Krouse Rosenthal's website Savoring the Past: Positive Memories Evoke Value Representations in the Striatum Cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression strategies role in the emotion regulation: an overview on their modulatory effects and neural correlates Does savoring increase happiness? A daily diary study Up-regulating positive emotions in everyday life: Strategies, individual differences, and associations with positive emotion and well-being Reward-motivated learning: mesolimbic activation precedes memory formation Judy Weiser's website on phototherapy and applications Saving the Last for Best: A Positivity Bias for End Experiences Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions. (Seligman, et al.) Back to the future: the effect of daily practice of mental time travel into the future on happiness and anxiety Consciousness of subjective time in the brain You May Want to Marry My Husband (Amy Krouse Rosenthal) Seven Notes on Life- Amy Krouse Rosenthal (her talk starts 5 minutes in)   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org