How Does Scent Affect You?
Did you know that your sense of smell or olfaction is the oldest among your senses? And the reason why women can smell better than men is because they’ve got a more developed prefrontal region of the brain?
There are more fun facts about the human sense of smell to talk about, but let's look at how our sense of smell affects our emotions and memory.
How Does Smell Affect the Brain?
Research has proven that we sense smell even before the aroma molecules get to our nostrils. How? This happens because our vision is equipped with the ability to relate images to scent.
Before we discuss how scent affects emotions and memory, it would help if we let you in on how humans detect scent.
How Do You Detect Scent?
The process is quite complicated, but we will explain it in simple terms. So, when you sniff, the odor molecules are drawn in through your nostrils and dissolved in the mucus membrane (known as the olfactory epithelium).
From there, the odor molecules make their way to your brain through receptors and olfactory nerves. On getting to the olfactory bulb in the brain, the odor or signal is processed, interpreted, and communicated to other parts of the brain. That should do, for now, considering we are not in a science class.
How Does Scent Affect Your Emotion?
To help you understand the relationship between the brain and your emotions, the best place to start is the hippocampus. Yeah! The hippocampus.
The hippocampus is a brain network that affects the functions of feelings and how we react to events. The hippocampus is also part of the limbic system, arguably one of the brain's most studied aspects.
In addition to storing memories of facts and events, the hippocampus is also where your brain match events with different scents. This matching process is why you still remember certain scents from your childhood and how they made you feel — your emotions.
Moving on to another important question that pricks curiosity.
How Do Scents Trigger Emotions?
Having come so far in this discussion, you should have an idea of the answer to this question is. Any ideas? Okay, let's help you out. Recall how your brain matches scents with events? The continuation of that process of how scents trigger your emotions.
Both your memories and emotions are knitted into each other. Every scent that is stored in your brain correlates with how an event made you feel. Thus, different types of scents will affect your mood and emotions in different ways.
If you walked into a room with pleasant smells, say jasmine or lavender, you will most likely feel calm, and your mood relaxed.
On the other hand, if the room smells bad, it would be everything but a pleasant experience. Hopefully, you have understood how scents affect mood and emotions.
How Can You Create A Pleasant Environment That Uplift Your Mood?
Over the years, aroma diffusers have created a healthy and enabling environment for pleasant memories. If you are looking to uplift your mood, Aromeo Sense is your best choice of aroma diffusers.
It's a smart device that delivers effective aromatherapy in your home or office. In addition to promoting concentration, Aromeo sense also enhances focus and promote quality sleep. But that is not all! Aromeo Sense can also create a pleasant environment that air productivity and performance at home or the office.
