Leadership in Action – AUNZ English – 201901

Take a scentimental journey Scent is the first sense activated when we’re born. The human brain has at least 1,000 scent receptors compared to just four for sight. 2 The first 10 years of life contain the most powerful scent memories, so one whiff of bayberry can flood you with the happiness of holidays at grandma’s house even when you’re standing in the middle of a candle boutique. Scent memories are about the only way we can time travel. Why is the sense of smell so emotionally powerful? It is the only sense routed through the olfactory bulb—the smell-analysing region in your brain—which is closely connected to brain regions that handle memory and emotion. The senses of sight, sound, and touch are not. That is why only the sense of smell can evoke strong feelings, as well as psychological states of mind. The good news is you can purposely use the power of smell to your advantage, using fragrance as a tool to help trigger a positive mood or mindset. 3 TRY IT FOR YOURSELF. Select an appropriate scent from our PURE ™ Essential Oils collection and breathe it in while you peacefully watch the waves from a sunny summer beach, or hike to a panoramic view, or snuggle happily into a cushy chair in your favorite bookstore where the scent of old pages is like a friend. This process begins the formation of nerve connections that intertwine that smell with the emotion of the moment and form a new memory. Soon the scent itself will evoke the emotions of that memory, no matter where you are. 4 Then, when summer refuses to budge and you’re feeling restless, bored, or blue, you can place a few drops of the scent in your PURE ™ Ultrasonic Diffuser & Humidifier and experience those feelings in present time.

1 Christopher Bergland, “The Simple Science of Snowstorms and Serenity,” Psychologytoday.com, January 23, 2016. 2 Dr. Joseph Mercola, "Why Smells Can Trigger Strong Memories," Mercola.com, August 6, 2015.

3 Christopher Bergland, “How Does Scent Drive Human Behavior?” Psychologytoday.com, June 29, 2015. 4 Psychology Today, “The Hidden Force of Fragrance,” Psychologytoday.com, November 1, 2007.

38 JANUARY 2019 | MELALEUCA.COM

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