\n<\/p>\n
Some experts think that<\/a>, be it through the placebo effect of plain ol\u2019 distraction, eating sour sweets may help those with anxiety through stressful smells. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n And research suggests<\/a> that the smell of mint can help those feeling tense, too. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n A more seasonal smell, pine, has been linked <\/a>to increased activity in the areas of the brain responsible for \u201cjudgment, feeling, motor activity of the frontal lobe, as well as the memory area of [the] temporal lobe,\u201d too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Speaking to the BBC,<\/a> Baroness Kathy Willis, an Oxford University biodiversity professor, said that the smell of a pine forest can make you feel calmer in as little as 90 seconds; an effect which can last as long as 10 minutes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But a paper from 2001 found<\/a> that while the scent of pine might soothe us, it only does so in certain contexts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A 2022 paper reads<\/a>: \u201cUnlike other senses, smells are unique in the mechanism with which they affect cognitive processes, and subsequently our emotions, memories, and perceptions of the world around us\u201d. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n That same paper said that woodland smells \u201caffected multiple domains of wellbeing with physical wellbeing discussed most frequently, particularly in relation to relaxation, comfort, and rejuvenation\u201d among participants.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But the 2001 paper<\/a> we mentioned earlier suggests the smell of pine trees<\/em> might have a different effect on us than, say, a pine-scented cleaner. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cLet\u2019s say you have an essential oil, or a real tree or a chemical fabricated for a cleaning product. If a person is blindfolded and smells each of these samples, the perceptual experience would be the same,\u201d neuroscientist at Brown University, Dr Rachel Herz, said she learned from the 2001 research<\/a> she co-authored. <\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhy might pine boost our mood? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n