Scents, Moods and Memories

How often are we not hit by aromas that evoke precious memories of our childhood, our teens or of special times and sometimes sad or bad times as well!

How can smells evoke memories long gone and thus affect our mood?

It is quite simple as our brain's olfactory system is connected to both the amygdala, which is a set of neurons which plays a key role in processing our emotions, and also to the hippocampus, a small organ which is an important part of our limbic system. The limbic system has three key functions namely emotions, memories and arousal/stimulation. The hippocampus is mainly associated with memory, in particular long-term memory.

Smells also serve a survival function as it will stop us consuming spoiled or poisonous food.

But then there's also food and other smells that bring back many fond memories!

• Hot bread - Every afternoon when I got home from school, the smell of hot bread would be wafting out the front door. We were five children and all the friends used to come and play after school - I sometimes wonder if we had so many school mates over because of Mom's hot bread; thick slices with butter melting was pure heaven when I think back!
  

• Freshly caught fish being prepared for the pan would remind me of childhood fishing holidays by the sea.
  

  

• Salt & Vinegar Chips - reminds me of school days.

• Popcorn - afternoons at the cinemas with friends.

• BBQ - good times with friends and family.

• Oranges - another school memory, a mother or teacher handing out orange wedges at sports days.
  

• Spicy fruit mince pies baking in the oven always evokes lovely memories of Christmas time - Mom and Granny would start baking a couple of weeks before Christmas and ensure every biscuit tin was packed full!
  

• Coffee brewing always reminds me of a work colleague who would get the coffee machine going early so we could have a little chitchat before our day started - sometimes we'd laugh over our cuppa, other times we'd cry.
  

  

• Fire - outdoor or fireplace inside always a reminder of camping holidays by the sea or holidays in the snowy mountains.

• The ocean - always evokes happy memories of sea, sun and sand.
  

• Rain, freshly cut lawn, plus a myriad of other smells bring back many many fond memories.

Then there's a host of unpleasant smells warning us all is not well - ammonia, exhaust fumes, smoke - all alarm signals.

So what does all this have to do with mental health?

A couple of days ago I wrote about how I regained and maintain my mental health and I started thinking about how I use Aromatherapy in my daily life to enhance my mental health.

Aromatherapy dates back to ancient times where precious oils were extracted from flowers and plants and used medicinally, in anointing oils and also in perfumes.
Nowadays, Aromatherapist practitioners may use essential oils as a stand-alone treatment, but many therapists use it together with massage for relaxation and as a mood enhancer.

You can also surround yourself with scents in your everyday life and turn parts of your home and garden into an Aromatherapy sanctuary with fragrant plants.

One of my favourite shrubs is the white, lilac & purple flowered Yesterday Today & Tomorrow (Brunfelsia) so I planted two of these in my garden, both near windows and this one also right by our front entrance. The sweet aromas waft into the house strongly in the evenings especially; it's like balm to the soul sitting out here breathing in this gorgeous aroma.

The Gardenia has been quite slow-growing but it was full of flowers last summer, so we're looking forward to the sweet floral aromas again this year. The flowers do not last very long, but the intensity of the smell makes up for that. The oil has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Lavender flowers ready to go into little muslin bags and placed under pillows. Lavender of course is known for its calming properties, great for relaxation and getting a good night's sleep.
• One can also make your own Lavender Bath Salts by adding the flowers to Epsom Salts, place into muslin bags and leave it for at least a week in a dark cupboard before using - pop into your bath water and enjoy a relaxing steamy soak in the bath.
• Splash a couple of drops of Lavender essential oil into your bath water - it's absolutely gorgeous!
• Buy yourself a warm mist humidifier with an essential oil diffuser - the entire room will smell divine. Switch it on about half an hour before going to bed, close the door and walk into Lavender heaven!
• A simple Essential Oil Tea light Diffuser also works really well
  

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One of my favourite climbing plants is the fragrant Honeysuckle - it grows in my back courtyard and currently is starting to flower with its subtle sweet flowery scent that wafts into my kitchen early morning and late afternoon. Honeysuckle elevates mood and is a great stress reliever.

String of Pearls with its feathery flowers gives off a subtle cloves/ cinnamon aroma

Try to find someone who practices Aromatherapy but also create your own little Aromatherapy haven in your home or office by using fragrant plants and essential oils.

Please share your own ideas in the comments below.

A huge shout out to @naturalmedicine and @mountainjewel for highlighting mental health issues with the Natural Medicine Contest

Finally a quote from Walter Hagen :-

You're only here for a short visit.
Don't hurry, don't worry.
And be sure to smell the roses along the way.

Original Content by @lizelle
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