Dear Bob,
Have you ever wondered what makes one person
drive to the donut shop to ‘eat a giant apple fritter”
while another walks to the park to do a
15-minute HIIT training session?
These are decisions we are aware of, right?
Well, not always.
Researchers with Perspectives on Psychological Science discovered that smell can be powerfully persuasive, even stronger than words, appearances, emotions, or will.
You are probably asking, “What does smell have to do with eating donuts vs HIIT?
More than you might think.
What is this mental cue?
For example, consider the positive emotions that arise when smelling the positive scents of your childhood, such as freshly baked chocolate chip cookies made by your grandmother or the laundry detergent used by your mom.
You probably could come up with several odors that you recall triggering a flood of emotions and feelings.
Back to the donut.
Next time you are walking through the Sea-Tac Mall or the Las Vegas Airport and you smell something truly delicious
– like a warm and gooey cinnamon roll from around the corner …
The smell, in this location at this exact time, is not an accident.
It’s a mental cue specifically designed to trigger your olfactory senses — directly stimulating the amygdala which is the part of the brain that’s most closely associated with
emotions and motivation
This is precisely why Cinnabon prefers not to be sandwiched between Pizza and Chinese food in high-traffic locations such as malls and airports.
Cinnabon prefers to choose oasis locations to “cue” their customers with their unique smell reinforced with the taste and freshness that their customers expect.
This “mental cue” is designed to trigger an emotional decision.
One that Cinnabon banks on, literally. Which is part of the reason why they are so incredibly successful.
So, how do you make this “mental cue” work for you? Cue-ing you to enhance your cardiovascular system, build your strength and endurance, and increase your mental strength through exercise.
Two ways:
- While many mental cues are subconscious, you can learn to start to notice cues that are designed to create actions. Go to the mall of the airport and see if you can identify some possible cues, start by evaluating the most well-known brands. Maybe it’s simply the Starbucks logo, or how the cup feels in your hands.
- Associate your cues with positive outcomes, such as the feeling of taking the first step inside the gym after you open the entrance door. Enhance feelings like this with repetition and stack the odds of success in your favor.
While it sounds simple, it’s not necessarily easy.
But this is what makes you just a little better, every day. And ads to your mental strength.
You can do it!
Helpful resources:
- Free Audio Coaching Course on Mental Toughness. Listen here FREE.
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References:
- https://faculty.washington.edu/sandeep/old/teaching/conmkt/cinnsun.htm
- https://www.cinnabon.com/ : Cinnabon, World Famous Cinnabon, World Famous
- The Power of Odor Persuasion: The Incorporation of Olfactory Cues in Virtual Environments for Personalized Relaxation: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9069654/
- Amygdala: What to Know: https://www.webmd.com/brain/amygdala-what-to-know