Here’s how different scents can affect your mood

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What is your favourite scent?

Freshly cut grass? Cinnamon? Maybe Vanilla? Mine is turf. Yes, that might seem strange but when you hear the reason why it might make more sense. Growing up my granny was one of my favourite people. She was warm, she was funny, she was ballsy and she always had a turf fire going no matter what time of day it was. Ever since then the smell has reminded me of her and everything that she encompassed. Which got me thinking, just how much can scent affect our mood? It turns out quite a lot. Our sense of smell is actually the most sensitive of all our senses. It is the first one we develop as a baby and as adults we use it constantly throughout the day without even noticing. Did you know that there are six million odour- detecting cells in our noses? That's a bit boggling, isn't it? It makes sense that smells can have a massive impact on our daily moods. Think about it, when you climb into fresh bedsheets at the end of a long day there is nothing like the smell of clean linens. On the other hand, walking into a smelly changing room at the gym can automatically put you in a bad mood. So, what is the science behind this idea? Speaking to Scientific American, Rachel S. Herz, an assistant professor of psychology at Brown University gives us a simple explanation.

''Odours do affect people's mood, work performance and behavior in a variety of ways but it isn't because odours work on us like a drug, instead we work on them through our experiences with them. That is, in order for an odour to elicit any sort of response in you, you have to first learn to associate it with some event.''

Meaning we link specific smells to certain events in our lives through associated learning. Think about it, if you've ever been in hospital, you will automatically associate the smells from the hospital with feelings of anxiety and sickness. Whereas if you grew up with a real Christmas tree in your home you will automatically associate the smell of fir trees to feelings of festive cheer. That's how odours come to be liked or disliked, as well as how they can elicit emotions and moods. Which perfectly explains why I automatically feel calmer and happier when I smell turf, because it reminds me of a safe and loving place. The next time you're in particularly good mood remember to stop and smell the roses because scent could have more to do with it than you actually think. This article is brought to you by Comfort. Make sure you're surrounded by your favourite scents all day long with Comfort Intense.  Comfort Intense is an ultra concentrated fabric conditioner with intense freshness that brings your clothes to life. Give your clothes a new lease of life with the fragrance of Comfort Intense.