The Power of Scent!
We're all about good smells today here at Boost and looking at the power of different scents. I've got a 'bit' of a thing for scented candles, and when I say a 'bit' I'm minimising massively! I have a cupboard dedicated to storing my precious jars of scented wax, waiting to burn them at just the right moment.
I think we under value our sense of smell, but it plays a big role in our formation of memories in our brain, and also our feelings. We all have a different scent we associate with our childhood, or with a memory. When I smell freshly cut grass I remember my first school, and the smell of traditional bubblegum reminds me of the first time I went to America, where even the toilets in restaurants seemed to smell like it. There's that distinctive 'smell' of old people, that brings back lovely memories of my Grandad, and the smell of Jasmine reminds me of my honeymoon in Bali.
We all respond differently to different scents, and I love to watch people in shops, smelling candles or perfume or body wash, or fabric softener, to see how they react differently to different smells.
Here are some of the good smells I'm adoring today.
I always have a candle burning in my office, and today it's 'Snow In Love' from Yankee Candle, which I thought was fitting as Valentine's Day isn't far off. The daffodils growing in my kitchen smell absolutely divine, and they fill the house with their heady spring scent, which I find necessary in this gloomy February weather. And I'm so precious of my perfume collection, with the Jo Malone 'Velvet Rose and Oud' being my absolute all time favourite. I feel instantly more put together and sophisticated when I spritz this on in the morning, and it lasts all day.
Different scents can be uplifting to our mood, and can create a feeling of calm and contentment, or perk us up if we're feeling tired. The smell of fresh Mint or Basil I always find wakes me up, as well as fresh fruits like Lemons, Grapefruit and Mango. And then there are softer scents which relax me, like fresh flowers, lavender, and cinnamon. The smell of bonfires makes me feel more cosy and content, and fresh bread makes me feel hungry! I was mildly addicted to the smell of Vicks Vapour Rub and Olbas Oil when I was in secondary school, which I still love now and instantly makes me feel soothed when I feel run down.
So fill your home and your life with uplifting and mood altering scents, and pay more attention to what you smell when your out and about. There are many essential oils that you can buy on the market that are designed to be incorporated into our lives as a tool to improve certain ailments and I'll be doing some research on the best available and where you can buy them. Until then, happy sniffing, and I recommend you start discovering which scents really do it for you!
