Do you ever find that when you smell a certain scent, memories and emotions are attached to that smell? I ate a grapefruit this morning and while cutting it open, the sour citrusy aroma opened up my memories from 20 years ago. It’s interesting to learn that our olfactory system is connected to our limbic system, which is linked to memory and emotion. This short video from Kids National Geographic shows how smells affect our memory.
Smells have a strong influence on our behaviour and if you want to deep dive into learning more about our olfaction, Dr. Andrew Huberman’s interview with Dr. Noam Sobel is a good resource.
Mindful Smelling Activity: Guess the Scent
- Put out a several containers filled with cotton balls and drop a small amount of scent (essential oils, spices, herbs, fruit zest, dried flowers, coffee, tea, etc) into the container. I always like to include a variety of scents that I find relaxing (e.g. lavender), alerting (e.g. peppermint), and unpleasant (e.g. oregano). Be aware that what I find pleasant may be unpleasant to others but that’s all part of the exercise. Be careful to not to add too much scent as some noses are sensitive.
- Introduce that today’s activity is about mindfully smelling, which means we will be using our sense of smell to pay attention, here and now, with kindness, and curiosity. Sometimes we can have automatic judgments about a scent and immediately label it gross or disgusting. Notice those thoughts and feelings and then take a step back and describe the different notes you smell.
- Allow the young person to mindfully smell each container and ask themselves the following questions:
- How would you describe this scent?
- How does this scent make you feel?
- Do you have any memories attached to this scent?
- Is this scent pleasant or unpleasant for you?
- What is your guess this scent is?
