This month is Stress Management Month.

Our senses help us to navigate the world in different ways. The sense of smell is probably our oldest sense. Have you ever caught a whiff of something that instantly brought back a vivid memory? The smell of fresh rain, or your favourite meal can instantly transport you back in time. That’s because smell is the only one of our five senses that connects directly to the brain’s emotional and memory centres. When scent molecules enter your nose, tiny receptors send signals to the olfactory bulb, a structure at the base of your brain.

From there, these signals travel directly to two critical regions:

• The Amygdala — the brain's emotional centre. Links smells with feelings, which is why comforting scents like fresh-baked bread can make you feel safe and happy, while sharp or unpleasant smells can alert you to danger.
• The Hippocampus — responsible for memory formation. It stores and retrieves emotional memories linked to scent, helping you to recall events, people, or places through smell alone.

This direct path — bypassing conscious thought — explains why scent has such an immediate and profound emotional effect. Before birth, babies begin to develop their sense of smell. In fact, within hours of being born, they can identify their mother by scent alone. This primal bond helps infants feel safe, begin to regulate stress, and form emotional attachments — long before they understand language or visuals.

Smell helps newborn babies find the breast for feeding and plays a key role in early development. This deep sensory link stays with us throughout life. Whether it’s the comforting scent of a loved one’s jumper or the grounding smell of essential oils, our sense of smell continues to function as an emotional compass — guiding us through stress, memory, and connection.