3 smells that are immediately good for our mood and our morale

If you are so sensitive to the smell of a particular detergent, a candle, a soap or even a cake that is baking in the oven, it is because the limbic system, responsible for regulating the sense of smell, memory and emotions, definitely influences our state of well-being. Scientists then focused on studying smells that would do more to our brains. Here are 4.

The smell of coffee beans

According to a study published in Journal of Environmental Psychology, the smell of coffee beans would to increase self-confidence And improve cognitive performance. According to Adriana Madzharov, a professor at the Stevens School of Business, the progress of the subjects in this study would come as much from the stimulating power of the smell of coffee beans as from the expectations of the subjects. She explains:

“It’s not just the smell of coffee that has helped people perform analytical tasks better, but this discovery is already interesting. In fact, they also thought they would do better and we showed that this expectation (linked to the known effects of coffee) was at least partly responsible for their improved performance. “

citrus fruits

If cats hate them, citrus smells are valued by humans for theirs calming virtues. In any case, this is demonstrated by a study conducted by 4 scientists from the Federal University of Sergipe and published in the Journal of alternative and complementary medicine. The latter showed that after (measured) inhalation of sweet orange essential oil, subjects subjected to anxious parameters (moral or physical) tend to feel more relaxed and calm. The study authors explain:

“We noted an absence of significant alterations in state anxiety and subjective tension levels throughout the anxiety-provoking situation, revealing the anxiolytic activity of the sweet orange.”

old books

According to ABC Science scientific research, the chemicals responsible for the smell of old books are benzaldehyde (which smells of almonds), vanillin (which has a very light vanilla odor), ethylhexanol, toluene and ethylbenzene (with floral notes).

These fragrances speak to our senses and relax us because they relate to emotional processing: every aroma we smell is centralized by the limbic system, creating a chain reaction that stores the memories related to that scent. Basically: every time we smell the pages of a book, this action brings us back to emotions and reminiscences of the past that are good for us and relax us.

Rose water

In a study conducted by 4 Iranian scientists, a decrease in the level of anxiety was recognized among patients regularly undergoing hemodialysis. This significant result was achieved after these subjects inhaled rose water. How is it possible? Well, second Health magazinethe properties of rose water “inhibit amyloid, an abnormal protein fragment that slows the functioning of brain cells. This product would therefore have antidepressant and soothing properties if inhaled. ”

And the advantage is that we find them relatively everywhere!

An image credit: @Anna Shvets.