Your nose might be the key to happiness
“The sense of smell has been identified as one of the key ingredients in a satisfying life.”
–Dr. Benjamin Perkus, The Aroma Freedom Technique
Humans use their sense of vision as the primary way to detect threats in the environment, however this was not always the case. The sense of smell can be traced back to even the most primitive organisms having a “chemical sense” to identify good and bad environments. Fast forward to modern day and we have a complex olfactory nerve which houses the limbic system; the treasure chest of emotions and memories.
According to Rachel Herz, a leader in the field of smell research, people with a disturbed sense of smell “…often report a loss of interest in normally pleasurable pursuits, feelings of sadness, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, loss of motivation, inability to concentrate, and thoughts of suicide that can turn into action if not treated.” Hertz, R. (2007) The Scent of Desire, p.4. HarperCollins
Can the nose actually be the key to unlocking happiness? The short answer is YES – to a certain extent.
There are obviously many components to feelings of happiness and this week we’re going to tackle the aspect of negative emotion. Negative emotions live in our body; they persist in our brain and many other parts of the body all the way down to our cells.
How did those negative emotions get there? At some point in your life, you experienced an event that felt like pain, loss, sadness, anger, frustration, etc… some kind of physical or emotional trauma that made you form a belief, thought, or attitude to protect you from feeling those unpleasant feelings in the future.
The problem is, the brain does not know when it is safe to let go of those old beliefs once the threat is gone. You have to tell it to release the pain of the past and actively forge a new pathway in the brain. Once that new pathway is formed, you can place any goal or aspiration you want.
Let’s check in – notice your response as you read these affirmations:
- I deserve to be happy
- I am confident I can get what I want in life
- I expect good things to happen in my life
- I feel loved and appreciated by those around me
- I am satisfied with my career
- I feel financially secure
- I enjoy vigor and vitality in my life
If your answer to these was less than 100%, hang with me this week as we use our sense of smell to gently clear negativity and mental blocks and open up positivity and creativity.
Are you ready to say goodbye to negative emotions?
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💝 Diana
