The Practice of Savoring: How to Train Your Brain to Notice God’s Goodness

There is a simple practice that has made a profound difference in my life.

It has increased my awareness of God's presence.

It has helped me absorb joy more deeply.

And it has changed how I experience ordinary moments.

The practice is called “savoring”.

Savoring is the intentional act of slowing down long enough to notice, absorb, and appreciate goodness — especially the small moments of joy we would normally rush past.

And surprisingly, savoring is not something our brains naturally do.

In fact, neuroscience tells us the opposite.

Why Your Brain Doesn’t Naturally Hold Onto Joy

Our brains have something called a negativity bias.

Left on autopilot, the brain leans negative.

This was incredibly helpful for survival thousands of years ago. Our ancestors needed to scan constantly for danger. Missing a threat could cost them their lives.

So the brain became wired to prioritize what is wrong, risky, or threatening.

That wiring still exists today.

I have heard psychologists often explain it this way:

Negative experiences stick to the brain like Velcro.

Positive experiences slide off like Teflon.**

Criticism.

Disappointment.

Failure.

Our minds hold onto those easily.   

But beauty, encouragement, joy, and goodness?

Those tend to slip away quickly unless we intentionally pause and absorb them.   Doesn’t this resonate?   It did for me. 
Joy often passes right by us unnoticed.

The Hedonic Treadmill: Why Joy Fades So Quickly

There is another phenomenon at play called the hedonic treadmill.

This describes our human tendency to rapidly adapt to good things.

The promotion.

The vacation.

The new relationship.

The answered prayer.

At first it feels exciting.

But surprisingly quickly, the emotional high fades and we return to our baseline.

The glitter wears off.

And suddenly we are looking toward the next thing we believe will finally make us feel fulfilled.

Many of us unconsciously begin believing that joy exists somewhere in the future.

When circumstances change.

When the problem is solved.

When life finally looks the way we imagined.

But there is a problem with this thinking.

Our imagination tends to highlight the good parts of future circumstances while ignoring the hard parts.

So the grass always appears greener somewhere else.

Meanwhile, the goodness available in the present moment goes largely unnoticed.

Savoring: Training Your Brain to Notice Joy

This is where the practice of savoring becomes powerful.

Savoring intentionally challenges the brain’s natural tendencies.

It slows us down long enough to capture moments of goodness before they disappear.

In my own life, savoring has become a spiritual practice as well.   I intentionally make the decision to slow down and to notice… without music, a podcast, my phone, demanding my attention.   

Because when I slow down and savor the small moments — a conversation, a walk, a moment of peace, a prayer answered in an unexpected way — I begin to notice God's fingerprints everywhere.

Savoring becomes a way of recognizing His movement in my life.

Not just in the big miracles.

But in the quiet, ordinary moments.

A Simple Savoring Exercise

You can begin practicing savoring today with a simple exercise.

When something good happens — even something small — pause.

Then walk through these three steps.

1. Notice the moment

Ask yourself:

What is good about this moment?

Maybe it's laughter with a friend.

A quiet cup of coffee.

A sunset.

A moment of peace in the middle of a busy day.

There’s something here—let’s just sharpen it and make it hit a little deeper:

Lately, I’ve been paying attention to how I feel after dance class.

I started going again… something that was such a big part of my childhood.
And almost instantly—it brings me back to joy.

Not the loud, over-the-top kind…
but a grounded, alive, this is who I am kind of joy.

I feel free in my body.
Uninhibited.
Confident. Strong.

And it made me realize—
we all need something like this.

Something that brings us back to ourselves.
Something that gets us out of our heads and into our bodies.
Something that reminds us… we’re alive, not just managing life.

So let me ask you—

Where in your life do you feel this?

What’s one activity that brings you back to joy?

Because this isn’t optional.
We need this.

2. Name the goodness

Put words to what you are experiencing.

This is a gift.

God, thank you for this moment.

This feels peaceful.

Naming the experience strengthens how the brain encodes it.

 3. Stay with it for 20 seconds

This is the most important step.

Allow yourself to linger in the moment.

Feel it in your body.

Take a breath.

Let the goodness settle in before your brain moves on to the next task.

Those extra seconds help the brain store the positive experience more deeply.

Learning to Absorb God’s Goodness

Over time, savoring does something beautiful.

It increases our capacity for joy.

It strengthens neural pathways connected to gratitude, peace, and appreciation.

And spiritually, it sharpens our awareness of God's presence in everyday life, in EVERY moment.  

Scripture reminds me often to remember, notice, and give thanks.

Savoring is simply a modern way of practicing that ancient wisdom.

Because the truth is:

God's goodness is often present in small, quiet ways.

But if we move too quickly, we miss it.

When we slow down long enough to savor it, something changes.

Joy becomes more accessible.

Gratitude becomes more natural.

And we begin to see that God has been moving in our lives all along.

**If this kind of work resonates with you, this is exactly the kind of mind renewal and awareness we practice inside my coaching and the HEARTSPACE community.

Learning to regulate the nervous system, renew our thinking, and become more aware of God's presence changes everything.