I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “don’t forget to remember to stop and take time to smell the roses.” It could be argued that our sense of smell is our most underestimated sense, but in the last ten years, scientific researchers have turned their attention to the olfactory. These scientists believe that although the sense of small has mostly been ignored throughout history by research, the power of smell for humans is much stronger than previously thought.

What recent research has found is that smell is linked to a human’s sense of well-being and their overall ability to make judgments. The impact varies based on the scent: certain smells can alert us, soothe pain, or even relax us. Smells can also help you remember special memories (the smell of your mother’s cooking) or warn you about danger (the scent of something burning).  The sense of smell is so powerful that it can completely change the tone of your day simply by being more aware of your surroundings and exploring which scents help you.

Your sense of smell has a very strong ability to help you relax, which is something that more people need to do every day. A few drops of lavender can provide a calming effect, for example. If you’re busy with kids, consider adding a few drops to the seats or the floor under the seats in the car to help maintain calm. Lavender is known by some as “blue magic” for its calming qualities.  Peppermint is great for upset stomach, stress, headaches, and has to been said to help curb appetites.  The scent of jasmine has calming and soothing powers, and many people use various forms of jasmine to help as a sleep aid. Rose is another scent that is calming.

Without even realizing it, there might be smells in your life that are increasing your level of stress. Consider the value of incorporating positive and relaxing scents into your daily life to help reduce stress and maintain nerves.