Scents and mood

"By wakening up your senses, you can support your mood.

Why: Inhaling different scents can stimulate or soothe your system and provide a way to come alive in new and different ways.

Specific action: Take just one minute daily to focus on smelling something that you enjoy. Give your full attention to the smell and notice how your system responds. Not sure what to smell? Try an aromatherapy product), a flower, fruit, or another natural element.

In using the sense of smell to reduce stress remember to combine it with pleasant visualizations. For example, the smell of cinnamon reminds me of a cozy fire on a cold night. Each person has their own set of associations that come in the form of pictures and memories."

Source: Change to Chill

Self Reflection: What are your pleasant associations between certain fragrances and happy mental pictures?

Students, please comment on this post within a week (or email kthao@emailmtcs.org if you'd like it posted without your name) with a reflection on this activity - how you felt before, during, and after - and MNVS will send you a de-stressing tool.