Can scent help improve my mood?

Have you ever smelled a particular scent and felt a wave of emotion? Do certain smells bring back a range of memories for you?

Scents have the unbelievable power to evoke emotions in humans. When you smell a scent for the first time in your life, the emotions that you felt at this time are stored as long-term memories alongside the scent.

Because of this, when you come across aromas you’ve smelled before, it can stimulate certain memories. The evocation of certain memories can then result in specific emotions. If the smell evokes positive memories, you’re likely to feel similar emotions when you come across a similar or identical smell in the future.

Scents may come from essential oils, perfumes, foods, and chemicals. The stronger the smell, the more likely it is to impact your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Your sense of smell is stored as memories.

Because of the significant influence of scents on your mood, they can be used to change the way you’re feeling in the moment. Using scents that provide you with positive thoughts can help improve your overall mood.

Studies have shown that the use of certain popular essential oils can calm you down and relieve anxiety. You can use most of them in an essential oil diffuser, and some are safe to rub directly onto your skin.

How Can Scents Impact Your Mood?

It’s thought that scents can influence your mood thanks to their effects on something called the limbic system.

When you inhale the scent particles the molecules hit the receptors in your nose, known as olfactory receptors. These receptors are linked to the areas of your brain that form the limbic system.

The limbic system is responsible for regulating your thoughts, emotions, long-term memory, and voluntary movements. It is particularly important for activating the fight, flight or freeze response in highly emotional or stressful situations.