Create Positive Memories With Oils

Intentionally create a positive association with an essential oil, then when you smell it again in the future, your mood adjustment will happen automatically.

I'm sure you've heard one of the powers of aromatherapy are positive (or negative) associations with certain smells.

The smell of Rose essential oil holds a powerful memory of my grandmother, who used to put Rose Milk lotion on every day. She smelled like roses! Though my grandmother died when I was only 12, when I smell doTERRA's Rose Lotion, I am comforted with the feeling I had when I was with my her.

So I know there is power in scent associations, but I hadn't thought of how we could really use this to our advantage until I read a magazine article last night.

In the December 2016 issue of livehappy magazine (and it is such a HAPPY magazine!), I stumbled across an article titled, "Try using mint, eucalyptus, and citrus scents to energize and uplift you." That got this doTERRA girl interested!

The article talks about how the 5-6 million cells we have in our nasal passages exist to detect odor. The moment an odor is detected, "our brain processes it for taste and memory."

It continues, "before your brain can even process the name of the scent, it has triggered our limbic system, which is responsible for our basic emotions. If there's a strong memory associated with the smell, the effects are even more dramatic."

That's what caught my attention. What if we CREATE strong memories and attach them to a scent?

The article quotes Joseph Cardillo, Ph.D. He says, "As you get used to using scent to ramp up or calm down, it will work faster each time, because of the memory component. You're creating new circuits in the brain and literally changing the way your brain operates in those situations."

Don't you see the possibilities?

I already have a taste of this. I diffuse Serenity and Eucalyptus every night, so as soon as I start the diffuser, I immediately calm down. I associate those scents with bedtime. They send a powerful signal to my brain that the day is done and I can lay my head down on my pillow and fall asleep.

Here are a few ideas for you to try to create your own scent memories:

• Pick a calming scent like Bergamot, Lavender, Serenity, Peace, Cedarwood, etc. Get in a comfy chair and put your feet on the ground. Start to quiet your mind. Put a drop of the chosen oil on your hands and cup your hands over your nose and mouth and breathe in deeply. Sit quietly breathing in the aroma for 5 minutes. Repeat this every day for a week. My guess is that the next time you are stressed, smelling in the oil that you've associated with this calming exercise will bring your stress level down fast.
• Try using the same oils in your diffuser every night. About 30 minutes before bedtime, start your diffuser. When you come to bed, the scent will envelop you and hopefully bring you into dreamland quickly.
• The article has another suggestion: "Use scent to boost your learning power for work or school by diffusing a certain smell...then smelling it again immediately before making your presentation or taking a test."
• Before having lunch with a favorite friend or before sitting down to watch a favorite movie, rub a cheerful scent on your wrists (some ideas are Cheer, Motivate, Citrus Bliss, Wild Orange, Lemon, etc.). Smell throughout your visit or the movie. See if you can link a scent to a cheerful situation, so the next time you're down in the dumps, you can use that scent to lift you up.

What ideas do you have? I'd love to start a conversation about this topic. Please leave a comment below.