Kiss Moments of Memory
- Scents can evoke emotions and memories, transforming them into useful tools for crafting links.
- Fragrances like peppermint and citrus can boost concentration and energy, increasing productivity when intentionally utilized.
- Utilize candles featuring these scents as "trigger signs" to train your mind to associate them with focus.
Enhance Your Home's Aroma for Impeccable Concentration with These Suggested Fragrances
The aroma of sizzling bacon on weekend mornings, aged books, and study sessions - smelling these odors brings forth emotions and jogs memories. You might be aware that smell has the capability to transport you to another time and place, but lighting a candle could also be what you need to conquer your to-do list.
Some scents naturally induce feelings of relaxation or invigoration, and you can use them to establish an ambiance and create associations with certain situations, like when it's time to wind down at the end of the day. By understanding this, you have the power to choose scents for your home that help you remain more focused on days when a lot needs to be accomplished.
We spoke with an expert on the topic to get a comprehensive guide on making the most of this ability and specifically which candles are recommended for getting started.
Erwan Raguenes is a perfumer at dsm-firmenich.
The Scent-Productivity Connection
Your sense of smell is directly linked to the part of your brain that governs emotions and memories, bypassing the part of your brain that "judges." As a result, the smell of baking cookies may bring a smile to your face, as it triggers memories of holidays with your family, or disinfectant may immediately cause feelings of anxiety because it reminds you of the hospital.
"Fragrance has always been deeply connected to emotions," says professional perfumer Erwan Raguenes. "There's a growing awareness, especially in the U.S., that scent can have a broader, more purposeful impact on emotional well-being."
This Is the Best Candle Scent for Your Zodiac Sign, According to Astrologers But how does this help your mental focus? The advantages can be divided into specific categories based on the mood you're trying to set.
"Certain scents have been shown to improve productivity by enhancing focus, mental clarity, and energy levels," Raguenes explains. "For example, peppermint and rosemary improve alertness and memory, while citruses, like grapefruit or bergamot, raise spirits and fight fatigue. Eucalyptus helps clear mental fog, while cardamom and basil help cut through mental confusion, and vetiver offers grounding for sustained concentration."
Homesick's "Getting It Done" Candle, created in partnership with Yelp, was designed to help with spring cleaning tasks and features several of these notes, along with black pepper, magnolia, clove, and patchouli, inspired by a fresh-scented kitchen, fresh-cut grass, and a newly-built patio. All of these aromas strive to provide that extra push of motivation.
Boosting Focus with Candles
Now that you're aware of how scents influence your emotions and memory, how can you exploit this ability for productivity? "Leveraging scented candles to boost productivity is all about the intent behind selecting the scent and the timing to use it effectively," Raguenes states.
First, select a candle (or more) that contains the previously-listed energy-inducing scents, then set up your work area with the candle nearby. Burning it in the space where you need to concentrate will help create an association with productivity.
"I would suggest lighting the candle 10 to 15 minutes before starting your task to create a sensory 'trigger sign' that signals your brain that it is time to focus," Raguenes advises. "The candle being lit should only be burned during tasks that require focus. Therefore, blow it out as soon as you've completed your work, or else the association with productivity will be weakened."
If you find that burning a focus-related candle works for you, you can also light a calming candle at the end of the day to signal to your body that it's time to relax.
Candles for Clarity, Suggested by a Pro
Here are some of Raguenes' recommended candles for maintaining focus:
- *Hinoki Fantome by Boy Smells**: A warm, woodsy fragrance with hints of cardamom for focus support.
- *Nuance by 27.9 Fragrance**: A complex blend of bright and roasty scents combining vetiver and citrus notes.
- *Teakwood & Tobacco by P.F. Candle Co.**: An orange-forward scent augmented by a peppery undertone to perk you up. (It offers a high concentration, ideal for those seeking strong scents or needing to scent a large space.)
[1] Erwan Raguenes, perfumer at dsm-firmenich
- The aroma of certain scents can evoke feelings of focus and energy, making them useful tools for productivity when intentionally utilized, similar to the scent of sizzling bacon, aged books, and study sessions.
- By understanding the connection between scents and productivity, individuals can choose candles for their homes thathelp them remain more focused on days when a lot needs to be accomplished, such as Hinoki Fantome by Boy Smells, Nuance by 27.9 Fragrance, and Teakwood & Tobacco by P.F. Candle Co.
- Some recommended candles for maintaining focus are Hinoki Fantome by Boy Smells, a warm, woodsy fragrance with hints of cardamom for focus support, and Nuance by 27.9 Fragrance, a complex blend of bright and roasty scents combining vetiver and citrus notes.
- To exploit the ability of scents for productivity, leverage scented candles by selecting a candle (or more) containing energy-inducing scents, like peppermint, rosemary, citruses, eucalyptus, cardamom, and basil, and setting them up in your work area for focus.
- To create a sensory 'trigger sign' that signals your brain to focus, light the candle 10 to 15 minutes before starting your task and blow it out as soon as you've completed your work, ensuring the association with productivity remains strong.
