Savouring and Celebrating
As we return to 'school in person', we'll all be reflecting on our lockdown experiences - some good, some challenging, perhaps. And we'll all be thinking about what we've missed about school and looking forward to reconnecting with friends, favourite places and activities. This is a great time to consider the power of savouring.
Recently, the teachers have been doing some reading about savouring. As human beings, we tend to carry a negativity bias. That is to say, our brains cling onto the negative experiences we have and, if we're not careful, one negative experience can have the power to override many positives.
This is where Savouring comes in. Savouring is intentionally recalling and revisiting experiences that nourish us in some way, perhaps by bringing us joy, comfort or a sense of achievement. Savouring boosts the number of 'positive hits' that our brain gets during the day, counterbalancing the negatives. It is also an important way to embed good memories so that we can revisit them in the future.
Taking time to Savour our own achievements is vital, especially when we've put a lot of effort.
Revisiting and savouring memories of positive accomplishment can give us a boost when we are working on new learning. 'Look how many stars I have on my Rocket already! If I learnt all those words, I can nail this new set, too.' This kind of positive forecasting helps us to stay with tricky tasks right to the end because we have the confidence that we have what it takes to overcome challenges.
It can also take the form of remembering and reminiscing, retelling and sharing - especially if the positive experience is a shared one. In retelling the story of a good experience, we relive it and reinforce its power. Capturing our learning on Seesaw is one way of sharing - and revisiting - positive experiences.
Anticipating something positive that we are looking forward to is also a form of Savouring, this time with a future focus.
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