What does ‘smell’ remind you of?

man smelling a box in the office

Does the smell of coffee tell your brain that your day has just started and it needs to reboot?

Do you instantly imagine you’re in a vacation when the smell of the chlorine reminds you of your childhood days by the swimming pool?  

Do you salivate when the smell of freshly baked bread surrounds you?

The reaction you get from any sort of smell does not come from thinking deliberately about past experiences associated with that smell. The part of the brain that analyzes your nose-sent messages is close to the limbic system. That primitive brain that deals with emotions, moods and memory.

No wonder why smells are richly supplied with emotional significance and they can make us instantly happy, or extremely annoyed.

People have used aromatherapy to treat the unwell. The essential oil perfumes pass over the nerve cells in the nasal passage and a message is sent to the brain.

Although you cannot always be physically comfortable at the office, you can still treat this basic part of your brain with different types of smells tucked into your desk.

Lavender will ease your anxiety before that big meeting and cinnamon may help improve performance and memory tasks.  Rosemary could improve brain function and eases stress while cedarwood could enhance your concentration.

You already have a snack drawer (we know your secret).  

It’s time for a smelling corner. Bring to work different smell elements to brighten your mood and enhance your focus at work. Ask your each member of your team to bring one smell elements and create a smell library to be used as needed.   

(sniff)

~Randah