Most of us have experienced a smell that immediately serves up a powerful memory.  Does the smell of fresh-cut grass bring you back to your childhood?  Does a certain perfume or cologne remind you of a grandparent? Does the smell of fresh-baked bread bring you back to that trip to Paris? There’s a reason for that.

The positive affect psychology 

Of the five senses, the sense of smell or scent is the most connected to where your memories and habits are stored in your brain, so depending on the meaning that you correlate with that memory, certain scents tickle your subconscious and will make you think and feel certain ways on demand. With this in mind, you are able to manipulate this to help keep your mind happy. This is called 'affect psychology' - the emotion you feel (the affect) when you do something, or remember doing something. 

High-end hotels figured this out over 10 years ago, which is why many have gone to great lengths to customize scents that they diffuse into their lobbies, rooms, and linens. They want you to associate a delightful aroma with their hotel so that you feel more positive about their brand and keep coming back. 

Using Aromatherapy candles and scents to help better your mood

This is where Scentered comes in handy. You can create your magical moments by using our blends to punctuate specific moments so that when you want to revisit that feeling or emotion, you have the tool at your fingertips…literally. For example, if one of your favorite things to do is to go hiking, you could use our HAPPY Balm right before you venture out each trip and again as you complete your journey.  Then later on a rainy day when you can’t go out but crave that feeling you get from being in nature, you can use the HAPPY Balm or light a HAPPY Candle and think about some of your favorite hikes. You might be surprised how easy it is to recreate these feelings of joy simply by breathing in deeply without having to leave the comfort of your warm, dry couch. 
 
And speaking of breathing, check out our next blog on the power of deep breathing and how this fit into the brain-hacking strategy.
 
Be Well,
Sherry