If you’re a generally anxious person, this might sound like a preposterous claim. How would something as clichĂ© as “to stop and smell the flowers” have any real effect in your anxiety? Well, before we delve further into this matter, you should be reminded that your anxiety is only as real as you convince yourself it is real in the first place.
Relax, this isn’t one of those articles that will try to convince you how your anxiety is entirely imaginary. It’s not one of those articles that will try convert you to some kind of new age lifestyle. However, this is indeed an article that will try to alert you of how powerful your sense of smell can be, in either promoting or dismissing states of anxiety.
From all the human senses, smell is perhaps one of the most elusively influential towards our mental and emotional states. Sure, anyone can tell when something smells good or bad, but not everyone can tell how a smell interferes with their mood. And it has been proved that certain smells do interfere with our well-being (either positively or negatively) in more ways than we normally imagine.
For example, did you know that anxiety can be reduced with the smell of baby power? This is because baby power is something that usually evokes warm and positive childhood memories. But it’s actually not the smell of baby power that counters anxiety, but rather the soothing memories and mental states it usually invokes – even if only at subconscious level.
If you would like to know more about the interplay between scents and emotions, you should look for information on the area of aromatherapy. There are several aromas available as oils or candles which may help reduce your anxiety through the sense of smell: some common examples are lavender, pine or rosemary, but you should be able to easily find which smells you find most relaxing.
Generally speaking, your anxiety can be reduced by any smell that you find pleasant. For some people it may be the smell of fresh baked pie, for others it may be the smell of fresh dew. Start noticing how different smells affect your mood, and you’ll quickly become aware of which smells you can use to calm yourself down while going through an anxiety crisis.
