Stop and smell the waffles

My bro and sis-in-law have one of the most stunning rose gardens. They have all shades of creams, pinks and reds, plus lilac, sunshine yellow and in-between shades photoshop couldn't even dream of. I was wandering through it the other day smelling each of them, getting dizzy with it. There were heady, sweet, delicate, meh and a few omg among them. There's nothing quite like it. Literally. Synthetic try-hards give me a headache, it's such a notable difference ~ not sure why peeps even bother concocting smells when nature has them all on a platter.

Our nose is fascinating. I guess it's in the centre of our face for a reason or 700. Did you know, by breathing through our nose we're calming our entire nervous system? Chillaxing you might say. We're also purifying and dehumidifying the air. Smells are also the main determinant of a food's flavour... more than taste. Yes! Crazy! While taste is limited to sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (love that word), smells are unlimited.

We humans can distinguish about 10,000 aromas, from fresh coffee to the beach, apple pie and freesias. So clever. And these scents do more than make us happy (or nauseous, depending on what's under your shoe). Once we get a whiff of something, the olfactory sensors help us work out what it is and then send the info to the limbic system in the brain, among other areas. A part of the limbic system is an area that controls emotions, long-term memory and behaviour, which is why smells can instantly trigger memories or make you feel happy, lousy, in love, sleepy or energized.

So try and be a bit more mindful of your nose. Breathe slowly in and out of it (unless you're exercising). Use aromatherapy to wake you up or calm you down. Let your nose linger over a glass of wine long before you take a sip. Dot perfume on your wrist instead of your neck so you can experience it all day. Place some handpicked flowers next to your desk and relish their sweet bouquet. And stop and smell the waffles. You know you want to.