Scents can make you more productive

Working from home may become the new ‘normal’ for quite a lot of us. And this new way of working brings new challenges. The work still needs to be done, and done as efficiently as always, but sometimes the home environment isn’t conducive to this.

In a previous blog I outlined how fragrances are ‘short-cuts’ to emotions and memories. They have a powerful and immediate effect on our brain function. Obviously, we can therefore use that effect to our advantage, depending on what we want to achieve.

There are two areas that can hinder our working from home effectiveness – concentration and stress. Of course, those two aspects apply even if you are working in a company office, but it’s much easier to control your home environment.

Concentration

There can be many more distractions when working from home. Maintaining focus and staying alert are vital in order to get through your workload effectively.

The answer lies in Citrus or Peppermint fragrances.

During a month-long study of Japanese data processors, those who inhaled a lemon aroma made 54 percent fewer errors than those who sniffed plain air.

At the University of Cincinnati, psychologists William Dember and Joel Warm have found that volunteers who inhaled peppermint and lily-of-the-valley odours while at work on a tedious computer task made 25 percent fewer errors than those who breathed unscented air. If the findings hold up in future experiments, the researchers think that fragrances might eventually help air traffic controllers or long-distance truckers stay alert on the job.

De-stress

Many studies have shown that our brain function is adversely affected by stress.

Unfortunately, some workloads or deadlines impose a certain level of stress which generates a vicious circle of stress affecting efficiency thereby creating more stress, and so on.

Clearly, anything we can do to relieve some of that stress and lift our mood will result in benefits all round.

Stress-relieving and mood-enhancing fragrances include Lavender, Lemongrass and Jasmine.

Using aromatherapy as a productivity tool is not one of the most common ways to increase efficiency, but it’s definitely effective. And the best part is that these scents are readily accessible and take no effort at all to use. Simply incorporate them into your day using a candle, wax melts or fragrance diffuser.

Very quickly, working from home might become the preferred option!

Scents to try…

• • Lavender – Recharges the brain and improves concentration.
    Try our Lavender and Amber Candle
    

• • Lemongrass – Reduces stress and eases anxiety.
    Try our Lemongrass and Ginger Candle

• • Ginger – Fights fatigue and eases pain.
    Try our Lemongrass and Ginger Candle

• • Peppermint – Sustains attention and enhances memory accuracy.
    Try our Peppermint and Eucalyptus Candle

• • Citrus – Increases alertness and shortens response time.
    Try our Lime, Basil & Mandarin Diffuser

• • Jasmine – Re-energizes the body and lifts the mood.
    Try our Frankincense & Jasmine Candle

• • Lemon – Arouses the senses and decreases errors.
    Try our Lemongrass and Ginger Candle

And finally…

• Coffee – Enhances analytical reasoning and promotes attentiveness.
  Try our Irish Coffee Scented Candle