How Do Smells Help Us Relax?

Reviewing Ways that Aromatherapy May Be Helpful

Why do therapists, spas, and other places of relaxation and healing enjoy using the power of scent? Sometimes it will be in diffusers, incense sticks, candles, and even in aromatherapy sprays, but certain scents are strongly associated with feelings of calm. Is it the scent itself?

Certain herbs do have properties that relax the nervous system. Lavender is one of the most commonly recognized for this, but naturopaths, and a lot of doctors across the world use various herbal remedies to heal the body. So, are these scents physically changing something within us? Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of research on this to really give us a clear answer.

Our minds can definitely associate properties with certain scents. Like the smell of coffee likely reminds us of its caffeinated quality, and we might feel more awake just smelling it. The same could be said around more calming aromas.

We also do have a lot of data supporting deep breathing and how it calms the nervous system. Think of when you smell something. It is encouraging you to breathe in deeply through your nose, in a slow and controlled way, even holding onto it a second as you try to recognize it. That is exactly how we practice deep breathing for calming the body! So perhaps the calming effect of these scents is just because they make us practice a self-regulating activity?

Either way, does it really matter? Sometimes embracing the power of the placebo effect is helpful. The placebo effect is extraordinary, where just by believing something, your body heals and feels better. Why not use something to intentionally focus your mind on healing yourself?

If you were curious, I found these sets of aromatherapy sprays over at Desert Sage Herbs near Alma School and Warner Road in Chandler. It can even just be fun to explore different scents and notice how it makes you feel. That is practicing both mindfulness and interoception skills!