Can aromas really help to reduce our levels of stress?
Ask any parent who works at home, manages a busy household,
or looks after children if they experience stress. Or ask
any parent who struggles with work outside the home and is
frustrated with having no time to manage their home and
kids. Today, even the haven of our homes cannot protect us
from stress. At home it comes in many forms and affects
both young and old.
Almost everyone today is a victim of elevated levels of
stress and anxiety. Even children, much like their
parents, lead hectic and stressful lives. But did you know
that certain fragrances can help alleviate some of this
stress?
It's true. We can use our noses to reduce our levels of
stress.
Rather than reaching for medications to relieve stress,
many people are looking for other ways to reduce their
levels of stress. Scents are a great way to relax, unwind
and reduce stress. Research at Yale University suggests
that the smell of spiced apples may be effective in warding
off a panic attack.
In a study conducted by Dr. Susan Schiffman, subjects were
first trained to relax when introduced to a
pleasant-smelling fragrance. Within just a few weeks,
these subjects were able to relax the muscles over their
forehead—the muscles which, when allowed to remain in
a tense position, lead directly to a "stress headache.
In another study conducted by Dr. Gary Schwartz subjects
were asked a series of stressful questions while they were
exposed to pleasant fragrances. Compared to control
subjects who hadn't been exposed to these scents, those
tested with fragrances were shown to have lower blood
pressures, heart rates and even breathing patterns.
Stress at Work?
Who doesn't experience stress at work! In studies done by
Dr. Joel Warm and William Dember, workers who were exposed
to the occasional scent of peppermint showed a marked
increase in alertness and improved job performance. The
significance of this finding may have a large impact on the
workplaces of the future.
Overall, studies have found that
* pleasant fragrances help to reduce workers' levels of
stress and promote a healthy mental atmosphere.
* lemon's invigorating scent has been clinically proven to
help clerical workers make fewer computer and data entry
errors.
* lavender can help individuals compute equations more
quickly and more efficiently.
* peppermint and lily of the valley can help individuals
lengthen their attention span.
* pleasant fragrances also promote well-being in employees
wherever they gather—in conference rooms, lobbies,
etc.
As technology continues to advance, more and more employees
will be subjected to lengthy hours in front of computers.
Anyone who has experienced more than an hour at a time
inputting and analysing computer data knows how difficult
it may be to stay alert—especially during the late
morning and early afternoon hours. Could it be that a
whiff of peppermint may help us to stay awake more than our
cup of coffee? Research in this area offers promising
hope—especially for those of us who have an
intolerance for caffeine.
Japanese companies are putting this research to task and
are seeing promising results. Workers who are exposed to
regular sprays of scents via computerized odour delivery
systems by way of air conditioning and ventilation systems
show a marked increase in efficiency and performance. To
stimulate employees at the beginning of their workday,
companies are odorizing their offices with shots of citrus
scents. Then late in the morning, employees are stimulated
by swirls of floral-scented odorants. By mid-afternoon
these employees are then exposed to invigorating woodsy
cypress and cedar scents.
However, employers should be warned that some
pleasant-smelling fragrances can actually have a negative
impact on productivity. In one study, galaxolide, a
musk-smelling scent, had a doubling effect on subject
response times.
Cacosmia, or "sick-building syndrome," is a phenomenon
where individuals become ill from low levels of common
environmental chemical odours found in paint, building
materials and even perfumes. Sufferers tend to experience
daytime tiredness and are often shy and introverted.
Interestingly, shy, introverted individuals have been shown
to be more sensitive to smell than their more gregarious
counterparts.
According to "The Smell Report, "If the
'olfactory-survival-reflex' theory is correct, it may be
that people with high-smell sensitivity become shy and
novelty-avoiding because their olfactory receptors transmit
more primeval danger-signals making them feel more
vulnerable."
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Luke Vorstermans is the founder of The Sense of Smell Lab,
a world leader in the development of innovative products
that use our sense of smell to influence behavior, trigger
memories, manage cravings, enhance moods and improve sexual
health. To learn more about enhancing your sex drive, go
to http://www.scentuellepatch.com
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