Far too busy? Wake up and smell the coffee

PEOPLE have a worse sense of smell when they are busy, research suggests. A study found that those whose attention is focused on tasks are far less likely to notice odours – even those that might otherwise be appealing.

Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Sussex tested the theory of “inattentional smell blindness” on 40 people. Half the group was given a complex task on computers – while half had simple duties – in a room in which coffee beans had been hidden.

They were later asked questions about the room to detect if they had noticed the odour.

Those on the more demanding task were 43 per cent less likely to have noticed it, data showed.

The scientists said the study proved that sense of smell diminished when participants were distracted, echoing common advice to “wake up and smell the coffee”.

It may mean dieters would do best to keep busy to be less tempted by food smells.

But further research will look at whether the same holds true in danger situations, meaning overworked engineers might be less likely to smell a gas leak, or drivers might miss warning signs on busy motorways.