Savoring pleasurable moments strengthens couples’ bonds

Couples who spend more time savoring the pleasurable moments they share are happier together, argue less and are more confident their relationship will last, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers say in a new study.

“Savoring involves slowing down to become aware of and focus on positive experiences,” said first author Noah Larsen, a graduate student at Illinois. “Savoring can occur when we reminisce on a past experience, focus on the present moment or look ahead to a future experience.”

While prior research found that savoring offered many benefits for individuals, Larsen said that he and his co-authors — Illinois human development and family studies professors Allen W. Barton and Brian G. Ogolsky — decided to explore it as a joint interpersonal activity that occurred between romantic partners. Participants in the current study were part of a larger research project that explored resilience in romantic relationships.

Read more from the Illinois News Bureau.