Aromatherapy: Your Secret Weapon

You’re standing in the middle of the home supply aisle considering which scrub-brush to purchase when a familiar scent wafts by. It’s coming from the candle shelves next to you – and it’s just the right mix of sandalwood, cotton, and vanilla to evoke a vivid memory. With no warning you’re pulled right back to your vacation place from last summer– all the emotions, environmental cues, and memories that it encompasses. And then you blink and realize you’ve been standing there under the fluorescent lights with your eyes glazed over for 5 minutes.

How did that happen? Well, scent is one of the strongest ties to memory, and to mood as well. And as scientists research scent’s altering effects on your brain, some are proving more persuasive to mood and focus than others. So speaking practically, how can you take advantage of this? It depends! Are you feeling…

Tired?

fruit-665607_1280

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then you should reach for a scent that will invigorate and energize you:

  • Cinnamon
  • Orange
  • Rosemary
  • Lemon.

Stressed out?

Chamomile flower.
Chamomile flower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go for something that will soothe and relax you:

  • Jasmine
  • Lavender
  • Ylang Ylang
  • Clary Sage.

Too wired to sleep?

Lavender.
Lavender.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then utilize a smell that can function as a sleep aid:

  • Chamomile
  • Sandalwood
  • Lavender
  • Vetiver.

Feeling blue?

Vanilla with mint. Oh my!
Vanilla with mint. Oh my!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try mood elevators like:

  • Bergamot
  • Mint
  • Basil Oil
  • Vanilla.

You can use candles, oils, or the actual items to power your olfactory experience. Keep them at your desk, use them in the bubble bath, or buy an aromatherapy machine to rest by your bed! No matter what, you’ll be glad you’ve found an organic, natural way to alter your mood.
And if you want to read more about the science behind scent, check out articles like this: http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinking-behaving/senses-and-perception/articles/2015/making-sense-of-scents-smell-and-the-brain/