Scent plays an important role on our overall mood as mood is related to our emotions and vice versa.
When we enter a room with a pleasant scent, it makes us feel happy. Same way when we smell an awful scent makes us feel lousy.
But is Mood and Emotions the same?
According to some studies, mood is the quality of feeling at a certain moment while emotion is a strong feeling originating from one’s circumstances.
So your mood can last for days but your emotions have a brief duration. Mind you that your emotions besides influencing your mood it also influences the nature and speed of your daily decisions.
Now how can your mood be influenced?
- the scents that surround us
- the products that we use.
A study by International Flavors and Fragrances inc. (IFF) found that certain aromas affect mood by eliciting a muscle-relaxing effect. One of the most interesting findings was the way a specific scent have the ability to reduce stress.
6 ways your sense of smell influences your daily life
- Smell and Memory
Of all the senses scent is closely linked to memory. Studies has shown that people can remember a smell with 65% accuracy after one yr while visual memory drops with 50% after a few months. The smell we experience plays a role in how we relate to places and memories.
- Smell and Emotion
Scent has a strong influence on how we feel in our daily life. According to Dr. Alan Hirsch, “The part of the brain that smells and tastes is part of the emotional brain where our personality lies.
- Smell and Time
Dr. Hirsch has also conducted a study into the way smell affects our perception of time. The coffee aroma produced a reduced perception of time while a baby powder aroma produced a longer perception of time.
- Smell and Health Care
Creating a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere for patients is a challenge for every healthcare facility. Lavender fragrances are often used in nursing homes to calm residents and in emergency rooms to calm worried visitors. Additionally, hospitals, treatment centers and nursing homes are prone to musky smells and malodors. A scenting solution could easily do double duty here, putting inhabitants at ease while simultaneously masking bad odors.
- Smell and Productivity
Our senses of smell can even affect productivity in office environments. Specific smells have been found to increase alertness which in turn results in higher productivity rates. One study found that when lemon oil was diffused throughout a Japanese office building, productivity among data entry operators increased by 54%. Scents can also be used to ward off mid-afternoon brain fog by revving your concentration levels.
- Smell and Taste
Although you may think no difference exists between taste and flavor, they are not exactly the same. Your mouth tastes food, but smell affects flavor. If you cannot smell, your ability to experience the flavor of what you eat may be hindered. While eating, odors from food travel to the nose, and receptor cells at the nasal cavity process the odors.
