Caroline Stern, a Boston-based content creator, has found a secret weapon for enhancing her productivity: Escapade Gourmande by Maison Mataha, a beautifully crafted vanilla scent. When she sprays it on, Stern feels empowered and motivated, ready to actively participate in her own life and be productive.
While many of us have specific songs or outfits that help us feel focused and powerful, we shouldn’t overlook the power of scent. There is a scientific basis for why certain scents can improve our work performance and cognitive abilities. Scent experts explain why and offer tips on finding the scent that works best for you.
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The impact of smell on our mood and job performance is multifaceted. Pleasant smells are associated with better performance, likely due to improved mood, while unpleasant smells can impair performance due to negative mood, according to Mark Moss, head of the psychology department at Northumbria University.
Moss has extensively researched the effects of scent on mood and cognition. Another crucial factor contributing to the effectiveness of scents is their interaction with our brains.
The olfactory bulb, located behind the nose, processes smells and has connections to more areas of the brain than any other sense organ. When we inhale a scent, the volatile compounds it contains enter our bloodstream and directly affect the brain’s neurochemical systems.
If you’re looking for a productivity boost, Moss recommends peppermint for enhancing focus, while rosemary and sage have been shown in studies to improve memory. On the other hand, sedative aromas like lavender and chamomile are not recommended for productivity.
Loreto Remsing, a perfumer based in Novato, California, prefers bracing, fresh, outdoorsy scents when she wants to be productive. She suggests scents such as peppermint, eucalyptus, citrus, conifer, coriander, and rosemary.
Remsing personally recommends basil as a scent to help with focus and revitalization. She used to make a small aromatherapy spray with basil essential oil diluted in distilled water during her college years to perk herself up between noon and 4 p.m. when energy levels tend to dip.
To try it for yourself, Remsing suggests a revitalizing spray with a combination of basil, bergamot, and pink grapefruit essential oils diluted in distilled water.
While finding the ideal productivity-boosting scent, don’t limit yourself to just one aroma. A study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience discovered that exposure to different smells can improve memory and learning in older adults.
Participants in the study were exposed to a rotating group of pleasant smells, including rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender, while another group was exposed to distilled water.
After six months, the group exposed to the pleasant odors showed a 226% improvement in a learning and memory test compared to the control group. To improve your memory recall and focus, try exposing yourself to multiple odors regularly.
Tracy Wan, a writer and scent consultant based in Toronto, believes that smelling something new can help sharpen attention and positively impact work performance.
She frequently tests multiple scents each week, which keeps her attention focused and enhances her productivity. Following Wan’s approach, pay attention to interesting and novel smells you encounter each day to stimulate your cognitive abilities.
