This week I invite you to focus on your sense of smell, accessing pleasant memories and fragrances that can strengthen your resilience! Researchers have long known that there is something different, something unique about the way our brains process olfactory information. Our sense of smell, the stimuli we receive from the environment that is processed through our olfactory nerves, bypasses the thalamus, where other sensory information is first processed, and is sent directly to the hypothalamus, which interacts with the hippocampus, the same area where memories are processed. It is not surprising, then, that our sense of smell is strongly connected to memories, for good or bad, and the emotional content of those memories.
The smell of your favorite foods from holiday celebrations is likely to elicit fond memories of those celebrations, giving you a warm and fuzzy feeling. The smell of an ex-lovers cologne or perfume may elicit ambivalence: a warm feeling about the memories you spent with them, but also the sadness or other more negative feelings that the person you connect that fragrance with is no longer in your life (of course, maybe you are relieved by that fact).
This strong connection between our sense of smell, memories, and mood can work to our advantage when we intentionally invite particular fragrances into our day. This is why certain fragrances are present in spas, like lavender, which has a calming influence on us. Jasmine is known to be helpful for sleep, while peppermint seems to have an energizing effect on us. So, if you are feeling stressed (who isn't?), maybe it is time to invest in some lavender for your yard or in a pot, lavender incense, or lavender scented candles!
Nature smells seem to be tied to our sense of calm, and our body's ability to regulate the stress response. Getting outside in a park or forest setting, a beach, or in the mountains can all help reduce our body's stress response. Of course, spending time in any of these settings with a mask on may be safe during a pandemic, but likely reduces our ability to smell the world around us, so it would be helpful to find safe ways to breathe in the beautiful fragrances of fir trees or other natural environments mask-free. One way might be your own yard, or socially distanced time in a park, or solitary area. Another might be to recreate this experience in the safety of your own home. Turn on some nature sounds in your favorite music streaming application or YouTube, then light a nature-scented candle. Sit or lay down, close your eyes, and enjoy your own re-creation of nature exposure!
While we can all hope that the COVID-19 pandemic may be over sometime this year, we are still in the midst of it and need to maintain our vigilance about masking, social distancing, and hand washing. Much like the last mile of a marathon, you can kick into a sprint a little too soon and burn out or injure yourself. Let's not kick too soon in our excitement that vaccinations are becoming more available (for some, but that is another story for another day), and some states are loosening protocols. Be careful! And use your sense of smell to navigate the ever-present stressors in your life right now. You've got this!
Meanwhile---
Be well, stay safe, and take care!
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