"To feel better from this bad winter…use your nose to make you happier. Smell odors that you like. If you like the smell, it will make you happier and bring a smile to your face. And some odors actually have a more specific effect. So, for instance, peppermint tends to make people more awake and alert as does jasmine or lavender. Reduces your stress to make you stress-free. Green apples and cucumber also help to reduce the degree of anxiety and make you feel happier about your life," Dr. Alan Hirsch said.
He says studies show smells can even take you away to your favorite vacation spot, at least in your head.
"Smelling suntan lotion or smelling coconut or pineapple induces people to have a Pavlovian condition response where you will recall being on vacation. And they will recall, not only will they get that memory of it, but they will get the memory of the affect and the emotion that they had with it. One quick way of getting the emotion of being on vacation without leaving your chair!" Dr. Hirsch said.
So how do you get out of this winter funk?
"A quick fix, take and sniff an apple five times and get a nice deep sniff of that apple and that makes, it reduces your anxiety. Or sniff a cucumber or got to the grocery store and get some lavender or get some jasmine and sniff that. Because by sniffing these or even take the odor that you like the most and smell that because if you like the smell, it will bring a smile to your face and make you happy!"
Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation 233 East Erie, Suite 712 Chicago, IL 60611 312-649-5829 smellandtaste.org
