Scents and Automatic Emotional Responses

Do you ever smell something and instantly feel transported to a memory of a situation or person?

Scents can trigger emotional responses.

👃 That's because the group of brain areas that are known for processing emotions, learning, and memory also process odours. 

🧠 When you smell something, as your brain processes the smell, it uses the same areas that it would use to process emotions and memories. 

💡 This makes 'smells' great at helping us remember emotional memories by connecting two together. However, this might not always be a good thing.

Mown grass can conjure memories of being outside at summer festivals 🍻 While a certain aftershave could trigger memories of your ex 🤢 

If a particular situation gives you the heebie-jeebies (for me, doing a presentation in front of lots of people 😓) then you can use one of your fave scents to create positive emotions 🌺👃🧠 that are connected to good memories 😍and that will help you to relax 🧘‍♀️ 

#AutomaticEmotionalResponse #Memories #Triggers #MentalWellbeing  #BrainFacts