Why smells trigger memories and regulate emotions.
Picture a place you love, a place you have a memory of that makes you smile. The beach, grandmas house, hiking in the woods, your favorite reading corner with a cup of tea. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath. Imagine what you would smell, salty air, fresh baked cookies, the trees, the scent of your tea or the smell of a book.
Smells and memories are closely tied!
Each smell is tied to a memory and the emotion attached to that memory.
The sense of smell is the only sense that bypasses rational thought.
It is linked directly to the limbic system, the emotional control panel of the brain.
A smell can make you angry, sad, excited... Smells can also trigger relaxation and are a powerful tool to use when managing anxiety, stress, fear, or when processing emotionally charged memories.
Here is my favorite way to help teach my body to handle stress:
I always carry my favorite blend of oils with me. Each person will be drawn to different smells and I even find myself drawn to different ones depending on the day and the situation.
Put a drop of oil into the palm of your hand and a drop on the pulse point of your wrist. Cup your hands over your mouth and take a slow deep breath that fills your belly with air over 5 seconds. Hold that breath for a second before SLOWLY exhaling over 5 seconds. Feel how your body responds?? Slower heart rate, clearer thinking.
The more often you do this the quicker your body responds because of the smell/memory connection.
So the more often you teach your body to take a deep breath and relax to bring down stress hormones the quicker your body will respond.
The human body is amazing!
I'd love to help you find calm, balance, wellness. Anxiety does not have to control your life.
Here is a quick questionnaire to help focus where your body needs balance the most.
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