“If you inhaled their scent while kissing them, the bridge of your nose will ache when you miss them.” is one of the most impressive sentences ever said about the sense of smell. We have written about the sense of smell, which is more than just a sense and shapes our perception of daily life, its relationship with memory and what kind of contributions it makes to our daily lives!
Why is the sense of smell important?
Are we being a little unfair by considering smell as one of our 5 senses? Research shows that before we evolved, the first sense that responded before the other senses developed was smell. I would smell the cinnamon cookies my mother was baking before I even entered the apartment. As if I were in a time capsule, I would return to my childhood every time with the smell of those fresh, freshly baked cinnamon cookies. Science explains the real reason why our sense of smell is so important by saying that while data from other sense organs passes through the relay station called the thalamus and reaches the brain from there, only smell goes directly to the brain.
How can you improve your sense of smell?
- When you smell it, try to find words to describe it. It’s not easy, I must say, but it’s a good exercise.
- Humidity helps our sense of smell. If your living environment is dry, you should humidify it or try to keep the inside of your nose moist.
- To fully smell, smell for 2-3 seconds and rest for 10-15 seconds. Our olfactory neurons get tired quickly.
- Try to smell your food without tasting it. If you didn’t make the food, try to guess the spices, salt, vegetables, and herbs in it. If you did, guess whether you put the proportions correctly.
- Try to understand the missing spices, salt and garlic from the smoke in the pot while cooking. Thus, you will be like a professional chef in a short time.
- Smoking weakens your sense of smell. Avoid environments where smoking takes place, especially while eating.