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The Big Stink About Anxiety: It Changes How Our Brains Process Odors 

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The symptoms of anxiety are well known. Your heart beats faster, your breathing becomes  more rapid, your palms sweat, your stomach has butterflies. However did you know that anxiety also changes how we smell things?

A new study discovered that even neutral smells become more negative as anxiety levels increase. The researchers believe that when a person becomes anxious their emotional system becomes part of the olfactory system, the part of the brain responsible for smell. This effect builds up over time so the more anxiety you experience the greater the ‘cross-wiring’ between the two systems to the point where the smells themselves contribute to the feelings of anxiety.

Have you ever experienced this? Why not add your comments below?

David DiSalvo – The Daily Brain – The Big Stink About Anxiety: It Changes How Our Brains Process Odors .

Stress and Relationships

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It’s difficult to avoid stressful situations in our lives, but when we are under stress it’s how we react  that matters.  If you and your partner have different ways of  dealing with stress it can have a significant impact on your relationship.

Jenise Harmon writing here works as a therapist and has a great  deal of experience  helping people who react in different ways to challenging situations. She says ‘How a couple manages stress can either break down or build up their relationship’.

She gives two great examples of  real life couples which make interesting reading. Next she talks about the choices a couple have to make when faced with a stressful situation. Great suggestions and lots of  ‘food for thought’.

Stress and Relationships | Sorting Out Your Life.

Sweaty palms; positive or negative?

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Do you have something challenging in your diary this week? A new job perhaps? An interview or a presentation to deliver at work?  Well the age old advice to stay calm and relax may not actually be in your favour.

Research by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has shown that for some people  the signs of nervousness such as sweaty palms and a racing heart can increase their negotiating power and as a consequence their success.

So if you can’t wait to get started on your challenge this week and if you relish the challenge of negotiation these physiological changes can act in your favour; enabling you to be ‘revved up’ ready for anything. If  however you hate negotiation it can detract from your performance.

The article includes how the researchers carried out their experiments and much  more about their conclusions.

Why having sweaty palms before that big job interview could actually work in your favour | Mail Online.