Cheer Yourself Up The Fast Way – Inhale

The fastest way to cheer yourself up when you are feeling down is to sniff something pleasant.

Charles Wysocki, PhD, a behavioral neuro-scientist from Mondell Chemical Senses Center found that sniffing works faster to change your mood than looking at a treasured souvenir or hearing a favorite song.

He compared the olfactory system to an interstate and our visual and auditory system to country roads.

This means your sense of smell will affect your brain faster. And the cheeriest scent may be citrus since it boosts the release of norepinephrine, a mood-regulating hormone.

So…cut that lemon or orange and inhale.

(Reported Prevention April 2011)