An Olfactory Look Back

Using my nose to reflect on the past year, including an exercise I like to do.

Dec 20, 2024

This will be my last email to you this year before I take a few weeks off to slow down and re-energize myself for 2025. I hope you have the opportunity to do the same.

One of the things I love to do during the weeks between Christmas and New Year (besides sleep!) is to carve out some time so I can reflect on the past 12 months, take inventory, and identify what things made the biggest impact on my life.

When I think of reflection, I think of connecting with something I’ve experienced before; revisiting a moment in time, a feeling that resonated loudly, something significant enough that I can recall its existence. Interestingly, the reflection is usually just an image in my mind; a representation of the experience, a perception of the actual reality of what it was. And it’s mostly based on emotions, how it made me feel.

The reason I enjoy revisiting key moments is because it allows me to engage with my life experiences more thoughtfully.

Interestingly, the same holds true for smelling.

A participant engaging in a moment of reflection during one of my olfactory workshops.

Smelling a familiar scent is a reminder of a previous time. A trigger for an experience once had, coming into focus, being felt in the body, in an instant. And each time it’s smelled, I’m transported, but this time with a new perspective that the subsequent years have provided.

And like a reflection, it makes me think about the significance of that moment and the role it played in my life. So, several years ago I decided to connect the two and I thought I’d share the exercise I do, using scent, to reflect on the past year.

Find a quiet corner, grab a pen and notebook, and enjoy the aromatic journey:

1. Begin by recalling (and writing down) your favorite scent memories from the year.

Things to explore:

What sensory experiences from the past year stick out to you most?
What role did scent play in particular?
Your sense of smell is beautifully calibrated for emotional responses. How did a particularly positive experience, that you can reflect on, make you feel?
When were you most happy over the year?
Can you describe where you were when you felt so happy? What aromas can you associate with that happy moment?

Reflection exercise: write down 3 memorable scent experiences from the past year.

Maybe it was something you smelled directly, like a shared meal from a family gathering, the smell of the salty breeze hitting your face while walking along the ocean, or taking a hike in the woods while on vacation.

But it can also be an indirect smell, like the birth of a child, where you recall the smell of the baby’s skin as you hold her tight. Or perhaps it’s the first day of a new job and you recall the scent of the flowers outside the front entrance on your way inside.

These positive scent memories are something you can draw from in the new year. You can relive the scent memory (by way of an essential oil, perfume, herb, spice, etc.) anytime you’re feeling down, need a pick-me-up or change of mood.

2. Next, create a mindful connection with the scent(s)

The Japanese have a word for it: Mon-koh, listening to scent. When you purposefully, actively, smell something, you’re connecting with that scent. You take in the energy and vibration of the essence. Focusing on something brings you into the present moment. It lets you pay attention and take notice of what’s right in front of you. You emotionally and physically respond to the immediate experience you’re having. And all this will allow happiness into your life because you are engaging with your experience more fully.

Reflection exercise: pick one of the above memorable scent experiences from the past year and smell it mindfully. In order to do this exercise, you need to have access to the scent that reflects the scent memory. Maybe it’s a particular herb or spice from a meaningful meal that you shared. Maybe it’s a perfume from your vacation where you finally got to relax. Or maybe it’s a flower from an event you attended.

Here’s what to do:

Close your eyes and relax your shoulders; breathe normally.
Now focus on the scent that is diffusing in front of you.
Breathe in the aromatic essence you have chosen (short sniffs, not inhale)

Do these mental evaluations:

Mentally describe the character of the scent.
What color and sound is the scent? Make an association.
What exact memories does the scent recall?
What emotions do you feel?
How is your body responding to the scent?

3. Next, take a moment to appreciate the scent memory.

A large part of reflection is having the ability to appreciate the experience you had. The fact that you can recall the moment means it was significant enough for you. Cherish that feeling the memory provides. Appreciation positively informs health.

Reflection exercise: ask yourself what you’ve learned from the experience. Why are you grateful to have had it? Why did it matter to you enough that you could recall it? What stood out? How can the experience influence the coming year? What will you do as a result of the experience you had?

4. Lastly, put the scent experiences into perspective and let them guide you for the new year.

Go back to all of the scent memories you jotted down and review them one by one. Now that you have some distance from the experience, what new perspective do you have?

Does the birth of a baby make you want to focus more on family? Does a memorable vacation make you want to prioritize time off? Does the family gathering make you want to focus on seeing your loved-ones more?

Reflection exercise: set goals for the new year based on new perspectives gained.

Make a list of the scent experiences (refer to #1), identify what’s significant about it and articulate what you’re going to enhance, change or eliminate as a result of it.

Your sense of smell can be a wonderful catalyst for reflecting on the past and setting goals for the new year. I hope you’ll try it out. And please do let me know how it goes!

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?