SMELL AND SUCCESS
HOW YOUR SENSE OF SMELL CAN HELP YOU SUCCEED.
By MARIE YATES.
As we strive to become the best versions of ourselves that we can be, we often spend time and money developing our communication skills and considering our body language. We know that building rapport is vital to positive working and social relationships. And while we’re developing our listening skills and eye contact we often ignore one of our most prominent senses; our sense of smell.
At the top of the nose there are smell-sensing cells which connect to nerves that, once triggered, send messages to the limbic system. This is the area of the brain that deals with emotions and basic instincts. As we are concentrating on the way that we are speaking, the words we use and the way in which we present ourselves, the powerful sense of smell is working overtime without us even realising.
The association we have with smell is almost primal; how often have you seen people reach for the clothes of a loved one who has passed away just to experience their scent again? The emotional attachment that we have with particular smells can be used to comfort as well as to build new anchors that can serve us.
Developing these positive anchors can be done in numerous ways from wearing a specific perfume at times when you need a confidence boost to having an oil burner with essential oils in the room where you relax. By keeping particular smells exclusively for these situations, the brain will have an immediate association and act accordingly to support you in adopting the appropriate state for the situation you are in.
The benefits of essential oils have been widely researched and they can act as a powerful antidote to numerous conditions including stress, insomnia, and anxiety. These three have been used as examples as they are also often signs that an individual is not being congruent with their true authenticity and not connecting with their goals. By combining a new scent anchor to a shift in thinking there is a significant increase in the desire for change.
Along with supporting you, it can act as a positive anchor for the people around you. If you work in a field where you often have one to one sessions with an individual or group sessions with the same people, including a specific scent will give your clients additional support. As a coach, I always ask my 1-2-1 clients if they would like the oil burner on in our sessions. They have their own blend of oils and I ensure that the same blend is available for every session. This acts as an anchor for them and they settle into the session very quickly. This enables us to move fast with what they want to achieve and the client gets greater value from our time together. I also have one specific perfume that I wear only at speaking engagements and I immediately feel empowered and ready to deliver.
I urge you to consider the power of the sense of smell and how you can use it to serve you. Create an anchor for yourself with a new scent. Whether it is something you use to relax or to empower you to step up and be the most incredible version of you, I believe that it will make a difference to your success – as defined by you!
About the Author
Marie Yates is an authentic health coach, speaker, writer and aromatherapist. She has a passion for supporting people to re-engage with their true authenticity. She works with a mind, body and energy approach to ensure that sustainable change can be achieved at a fast pace.
www.indigo-turtle-coaching.co.uk