How to Rebuild Your Sense of Smell After Illness: A Step-by-Step Daily Routine
- Jamie Knight, PhD
- Apr 29, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2025
How to Rebuild Your Sense of Smell After Illness: A Step-by-Step Daily Routine
If you've recently experienced a loss or reduction in your sense of smell after illness, you're not alone, and there is hope. Our sense of smell, or olfaction, deeply affects our enjoyment of food, emotional connections, and memory. Rebuilding it is achievable through consistent, targeted practice.
Here’s your daily step-by-step guide to reclaiming your sensory world.
Step 1: Morning Check-In with Smell Training
Begin each day with intentional smell training, a scientifically proven method that engages your brain's neuroplasticity to rebuild olfactory connections (Vance et al., 2023; Moura et al., 2025; Pekala et al., 2016).
Gather four distinct smells (e.g., lemon, rose, eucalyptus, and clove).
Spend 20-30 seconds smelling each scent, focusing your mind entirely on the experience. Visualize or recall the scent clearly.
Repeat this each morning.
If you can't smell the scents, you can focus on your memories of the smell.
Step 2: Integrate Mindfulness to Enhance Results
Mindfulness helps amplify your brain’s responsiveness to smell training.
Take 5-10 minutes afterwards to engage in mindful breathing, enhancing your body's sensory awareness.
Notice any subtle sensations or emotions that arise as you smell each scent.
Step 3: Midday Smell Exploration
Around midday, engage in a brief, spontaneous smell exploration.
Choose a fresh scent daily, like coffee, herbs, or spices, and deliberately inhale, noticing nuances and associations.
Document your experience in a journal or app to track progress.
Step 4: Incorporate Nutritious Foods to Support Recovery
Nutrition significantly influences sensory recovery.
Incorporate zinc-rich foods (nuts, legumes, seafood) and antioxidant-rich foods (berries, leafy greens) into your meals.
Stay hydrated.
Step 5: Evening Smell Training and Reflection
Close your day with another round of intentional smell training.
Use the same four scents from the morning session to reinforce neural pathways.
Reflect briefly on your day's sensory experiences, noting improvements or changes.
Consistency is Key
Rebuilding your sense of smell takes time and patience. Commit to this daily routine consistently for at least 6-8 weeks. Many individuals report noticeable improvement within this timeframe, though some may require longer.
When to Seek Further Support
If you experience limited improvement or emotional distress during recovery, consulting a specialist trained in olfactory rehabilitation can provide additional personalized guidance and support. Explore our specialized courses and personalized coaching programs designed to guide you every step of the way.
Join our January Webinar
Whether you’ve lost your sense of smell after illness (like COVID), are noticing changes with age, or simply want to stay sharp, this session is for you.
In this online webinar, you’ll learn:
Why smell changes often appear years before memory loss
How smell training supports cognitive function and recovery
What an Olfactory Health Assessment can tell you
Simple steps to begin rebuilding your sense of smell at home
Led by Dr. Jamie Knight, PhD, developmental psychologist and founder of the Olfactory Health Association. Save your spot by clicking book now below.
Comments