Isn't it amazing? The instant you smell a particular fragrance you are immediately transported to a time when you smelled it in the past. The olfactory system (our sense of smell) has an incredible memory. We can use our sense of smell to help us feel energetic, deal with stress, or change our mood. To do this think about fragrances in your life that remind you of good times. I'll give you some examples of how I do this:
Peppermint - in aromatherapy, peppermint is used as an energizer. My grandma was a wonderful, cute, little lady. She always carried her purse with her and in it was a yellow package of peppermint-flavored Chicklets gum. As a little girl, whenever I was around her, she would ask if I would like some gum. What a treat! She would open her handbag and the fragrance of that peppermint gum would permeate the air. Just thinking about it as I'm typing this reminds me of Gram and I feel excited and...energized! When I need some energy, I will reach for a little aerosol bottle I have filled with a few drops of peppermint oil mixed with water and spray it into the air around me.
Cinnamon and Citrus - these scents remind me of the holiday seasons when my kids were young. Someone had given me some potpourri called "The Smell of Christmas" by Aromatique. I put it out each December and enjoy the fragrance into January. It reminds me of being bundled up with my kids on a cold, winter night, watching a fire in the fireplace and how much fun we had during the winter months as a family.
What kinds of fragrances bring back your good memories? Which make you feel happy, calmer, or can change your mood? Once you decide, stock up on them and pull them out whenever you need them.
