How scents can affect our mood
What’s your favourite smell? Maybe it’s freshly-cut grass, the saltiness of the sea at the beach, maybe it’s even your favourite Zoflora!
More so than other senses, smelling our favourite scent can trigger positive moods and release endorphins into our system. It’s no coincidence that estate agents suggest brewing coffee and baking bread in order to entice potential buyers when selling your house.
But what impact do different smells have on our mood and can different scents improve our day-to-day life?
Citrus: The citrusy scent of oranges, lemons and bergamot can help you to feel more energised and boost your alertness. As well as this, they are extremely good for cleaning and sanitising as they contain the natural solvent d-limonene so are a popular choice of scent for cleaning products.
Peppermint: Peppermint is a natural stimulant which can increase your ability to concentrate during times of mental fatigue or stress. It also gives a cooling sensation from its high proportion of menthol, which explains why it is often used in shampoos and shower gels, and contains antibacterial properties.
Lavender: For anyone who struggles to sleep, lavender is known to be a calming smell which can relax our body and mind, making it ideal for those with insomnia. Many people choose to put lavender in with their laundry or in their airing cupboard to give a soothing scent to clothes and linen too.
Vanilla: Not just in ice cream, vanilla is frequently used in perfumes and is associated with warmth and softness. The smell of vanilla is also known to be a natural aphrodisiac that induces euphoria and relaxation.
So whether it's the scent you use in your cleaning products or lighting a scented candle before bed, why not see if a different smell makes a difference around your home.
Written by staff writer: Laura Dew // www.linkedin.com/in/laura-dew-0b71b85a
I totally agree smells do change your mood. They also bring back memories of people and places. I love aftershave, cut grass and petrol in a petrol station! 😱😂 My favourite smell though is my Nonna (grandmother) perfume. It always reminds me of her and my childhood 💖
I love seeing the breakdowns of all of the different smells and I think I will definitely try and venture into a new spray for the house. What I don’t fascinating is that fragrances smell different to different people and we hold so much memory in a fragrance that something could smell amazing but you have a bad memory and associate it with something horrible. My favourite smells are my family, that’s sounds so weird but I can tell if my brother has been to my mums from just his smell! And my mum smells of patchouli and the garden.
Mine is very strange, i love the smell of new books! I cant get enough and have to smell every new book! Its very woody and fresh it makes me feel so relaxed.
I love anything that smells of happiness.Whether that be sat by the sea,sat in the armchair in a clean home or even cooking a great meal.
I used to work on a strawberry farm, I cannot find a better smell then getting to work early on a warm, dry sunny morning to pick fruit. The sweet smell of fresh strawberries in the breeze is incredible! If you haven’t done it before, go do it and experience that smell for yourself!!