How to strengthen your sense of smell through smell training
By: Gabbi Di Marino, fellow allergy sufferer and content manager
The nose is a powerful muscle, and like all muscles in your body, it can be strengthened through exercise. You won’t need a gym full of equipment for these tricks though. Instead, look no further than your pantry or essential oil collection - yep, it’s really that simple! Whether it’s because of an injury or a lingering side-effect of COVID-19, if you feel like your nose is in need of a boost, use these five tips to get your smelling power in tip-top shape! (and yes, smell training does work!)
Get your sniff on - it’s a great start to training your sense of smell
Now, while this may seem too easy, it’s actually a surefire way to begin the process of improving your sense of smell. A lot of us don’t even realize that we aren’t using our smelling powers as much as we should be - the more you use your nose, the stronger your sense of smell will become, so get to sniffing!
Find aromatic things around your house like herbs, spices, and fresh fruit, and really stick your nose in them. Allow yourself to breathe their scent in and while you’re enjoying the delicious smell, you’re also helping your nose get stronger!
2. More smelling = more effective smell training
Like I said before, many of us just aren’t smelling as much as we should be. So, when you’re starting with step one, take your time! Letting your nose get better acquainted with smells can help intensify how your brain processes them, making it easier to recognize certain scents.
3. Start a smell training routine for your nose
While it may take years to refine your sense of smell to the levels of a professional perfumer, it’s still very possible! For those of us with an average sense of smell, we can work to increase the size of our olfactory bulb (the part of the brain that processes scents) by smelling four different aromas, twice a day, for 30 seconds each!
Repeat this four times a day for a week with any set of smells you particularly enjoy, and after the week is over, switch to a different set of smells!
4. Bulk up on B12 to give your smelling power a boost
Being vitamin B12 deficient may be a reason you find your sense of smell just isn’t what it used to be. Eating food with high levels of B12, like fish or cheese, can help to increase these levels naturally in your body!
5. Chuck your smoking habit for good - your nose will thank you
While quitting smoking might not be the easiest thing to do on this list, it is something that will not only benefit your overall health, but your nose’s ability to smell too! It’s said that smoking greatly decreases how much you’re able to smell, which in turn, also affects the way you’re able to taste foods.
So, what are you waiting for? Start training!
If you found this post interesting, check out our #2 post in our Let’s get nosey series that breaks down all the powerful connections between smell and memory!