How Aromatherapy Can Improve Concentration & Mental Clarity

By now, most of us have probably heard about the benefits of aromatherapy for relaxation.  It seems like there are hundreds of scents you can choose from if you want to unwind at the end of a long day.  Aromatherapy works quickly and effectively because, unlike other senses, scent is connected directly to your brain.  Since you already know aromatherapy works great to relax, why not try it when you need to concentrate?  Aromatherapy can be used to turn your brain back on, perk you up, and sharpen your thought process.  Imagine the work you can get done with that extra invigorating boost!

When it comes to concentration, there are many scents to choose from.  There are minty, fruity, and fresh smells that can help.  This means that you’ll be sure to find one you actually think smells good.  Here are just some of the options available:

* Lemon
* Mango- this can also help to improve concentration by easing symptoms of depression.
* Pine- this helps to increase energy levels as well as concentration.
* Apple- this can also give you an extra energy boost.
* Rosemary-this scent promotes relaxation and alertness at the same time.
* Peppermint- this has always been recommended to improve alertness for long study sessions
* Eucalyptus- this is similar to peppermint, and can be used to provide a slightly different scent.

If you want to use aromatherapy to help you concentrate, there are several options for helping the scent reach your nose.

Aromatic candle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Aromatherapy candles.  These are an easy and simple way to help spread your favorite invigorating scents throughout the house.  They are slightly less concentrated, but they still get the job done.  Just buy the scents you want and light them whenever you’re studying or just need a mental boost.  Just remember that candle smoke pollutes your indoor air so make sure you have a filter in your vents, and use candles with natural ingredients such as soy and essential oils instead of paraffin wax and synthetic fragrances if possible. 

* Humidifier.  Simply find the oil form of the fragrance you want, put a few drops in your room humidifier and let it work.  As the water gets put into the air, the oil gets taken with.  When the droplets evaporate, the room is filled with your favorite refreshing sent.  They also make devices now that use water to disperse scent and clean your air at the same time.

* Rub on oil.  Instead of using the oil in your humidifier, just rub it onto your chest or under your nose.  It works like VapoRub by sending invigorating vapors right up to your nose.  Just be careful, many essential oils are quite strong and may irritate the skin, so you’ll want to mix a few drops with a mild, gentle carrier oil such as light sesame or almond oil.

If you want to study, concentrate more on work, or just feel energized and alert at the end of a long day, try one of these fantastic aromatherapy scents, and see how much more focused you feel!

Using Natural Autumn Scents to Reduce Stress

Stress seems to be an all too common theme in today’s households - there’s simply no way to completely avoid it. After a busy summer, you may be looking forward to a chance to slow down and recuperate a bit. Tapping into your sense of smell using natural ingredients instead of bringing chemicals into your home is a great way to reduce stress.

Apple pie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How often does a certain smell bring back fond memories of a place or time; the smell of warm baked cookies or a scent that reminds you of a loving home? The science of using scents to promote good health is called aromatherapy and it’s a much safer option than using caffeine or drugs. Here are some autumn scents to you reduce stress.

Cinnamon – With the temperatures dropping, you may think more about baking. One scent that is often used in fall baking is cinnamon. The smell of a fresh baked apple pie does more than get your mouth watering. Cinnamon has been proven in scientific studies to improve attention and memory.

Peppermint – Along with cinnamon, peppermint is another aroma that has been proven to increase alertness. It helps maintain mental performance when doing the same activity for a long period of time. Peppermint has also been shown to reduce road rage and therefore may be good to keep in your vehicle if you travel a lot.

Vanilla extract (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Vanilla – Another baking scent that is believed to relieve stress is vanilla. Pour a little vanilla extract into a small pan filled with water. Place it on the stove and allow it to simmer for a while. The scent of vanilla will spread throughout the home leaving everyone a little less stressed. Keep an eye on the water level to ensure it doesn’t go dry.

Lavender – One of the most often used scents in aromatherapy, particularly to handle stress, is lavender. This is due to the relaxing properties in the essential oil. Lavender can be used as an additive to bathwater, used dry in bowls on end tables and even spritzed on sheets for a restful night’s sleep.

Sandalwood – Sandalwood oil has a long history of being used as a traditional medicine. Its sweet, rich woody smell is known for reducing stress and soothing the mind and body. While sandalwood can be found in many products such as cosmetics and perfumes, a few drops of this great smelling essential oil can instill a sense of peace like nothing else.

One of the great things about these scents is you can create your own massage oil. Simply add a drop or two of the essential oil into non-scented carrying oil such as almond oil. Gently shake the bottle to blend and then set it aside in a cool, dark place until you’re ready for a massage. What could be better than a soothing scent and a nice massage?

And of course, as we discussed Tuesday, the smell of fresh air in the fall is not only healthy, but is also a great stress reliever!  Get outside and smell the lovely autumn leaves, the scent of the rain, and the health-giving freshness of the fall air.

It is amazing how scents can affect us. When you’re feeling stressed and need to relax, consider using one of these common natural scents during the fall or any time of the year.

7 All-Natural Fall Mood Boosters

As the summer months come to an end, it is natural for people to feel a little bit “down”. The days grow shorter, the temperatures cool and a condition known as seasonal blues or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), sets in. If you’ve noticed a dip in your mood lately, try one or more of these all-natural mood boosters to help you feel better - without resorting to potentially harmful drugs that mess with your body and brain chemistry.

 (Photo credit: Pensiero)

1. Get outside. Sunlight and fresh air will do wonders for your mental state. Sunlight, even on a cloudy day, is beneficial and there’s nothing quite as rejuvenating as the crisp autumn air. So bundle up and take a brisk walk, if only for a short while. 

2. Laugh often. Laughter is invigorating. It is good for your mood as well as your health. Read a light-hearted book, watch a comedy and find humor in yourself, your family and friends. Pets can be especially funny so try spending some time with Fido. The key is to take a few moments every day to find the humor in your life.

3. Eat healthy snacks. Snacks such as cookies, candy or soft drinks are packed with refined sugar. These may give you temporary energy soon after consuming them, but you will also likely experience an energy ”crash” later a few hours later. This crash can actually make you feel worse than you did before you had the snack. Instead of high-sugar snacks, opt for healthy versions such as nuts, fruit, and cheese, along with a few whole grain snack crackers.

4. Stay active. People often become less active as the days become shorter and the temperatures cool down. Instead, it is important to maintain or increase your activity levels. Not only will you burn calories and fat, your body will produce endorphins while you’re active that improves your mood and gives you extra energy.

5. Sing and dance. You may have heard that “music soothes the savage beast.” It can also greatly affect your mood. Listen to music you love, music that makes you want to sing along and dance across the room. When you hear songs that affect you in this way, whether you actually sing and dance or not, you can’t help but to feel more positive about life.

Aromatic candles. (Photo credit: ElTico68)

6. Tap into your sense of smell. Aromas can also greatly affect your mood. When you think about fresh baked cookies, homemade bread, hot apple cider and heartwarming stews, chances are you feel warm and secure. You can use these same aromas as well as other fragrances to bring you joy and boost your mood.

Fragrances like cinnamon, vanilla, lavender, jasmine and sandalwood are excellent mood boosters and you can find them in essential oils as well as candles. Other feel-good scents include peppermint, citrus, coffee, rosemary, roses, irises and geraniums. You might also like simple things that remind you of years past such as baby lotion, old leather, fresh cut wood, grandma’s perfume or even the scent of a farm. These things you might have to look a little harder for, but the wonderful memories they hold are well worth the trouble.

7. Snuggle with Fido. There really isn’t anything better to help brighten your mood than the love of a pet. In fact, scientists have proven that petting and being close to pets can greatly improve your mood. They love and accept unconditionally, what could be better than that?

These are but a few all-natural things you can do to improve your mood this fall. Now perk up, get outside and enjoy those beautiful fall colors!

Smell Good & Feel Good With Natural Essential Oils

If you want to use perfume without all the harmful chemicals we discussed on Monday, making your own is a great way to smell great, and also reap the benefits of various essential oils. Essential oils have been used for centuries to remedy a variety of ailments both physical and emotional.  Some, like peppermint oil are great for digestion while others like grapefruit are known for their fat burning properties.  However, the most common use for essential oils is to help induce a state of relaxation or calming, which is great when it comes to perfume - not only can you smell good, but your perfume may even help you relieve stress! 

Here are 4 essential calming oils and how to use them.

Essential Oils Box (Photo credit: luxomedia)

Rose Oil

Rose oil has several uses including being used as an antidepressant, anti-wrinkle, to treat chronic bronchitis and asthma and to help improve sexual potency.  It’s also used to induce calming and relaxation.  And is said to be able to heal emotions and trauma by bringing warmth to the heart and soul.

It’s often blended with other calming oils to produce an all encompassing calming effect and blends well with Patchouli, Cedarwood Oil, Bergamot, Sandalwood, Chamomile, and Ylang-Ylang.   You can place it in a lotion and apply directly to your skin. You can place rose oil in massage oils or bath products.  You can also place in a diffuser and enjoy the scent in a room that you find calming.  Say your bathroom, bedroom or study.

Lavender Oil

Lavender oil may be the most common essential oil using for relaxation.  You can find it in the grocery store isles in lotions, bath gels, shampoo and even candles.  Lavender is everywhere.  In addition to being wonderful for relaxing and calming, lavender oil can be uses as an analgesic, diuretic, styptic, rheumatism, muscle pain, depression, headaches, hypertension, insomnia, stress and skin diseases.
Like Rose Oil, you can combine it in a number of personal care products including perfume, put a few drops in your bathtub, or place it in a diffuser and enjoy it throughout your home.

Jasmine Oil

Jasmine has a most recognizable fragrance and is commonly used as an aphrodisiac, to treat headaches, for fatigue, to soothe coughs, to improve and tone skin and to calm menstrual issues.  Jasmine is also tremendous oil for calming. 

While jasmine oil is more expensive than just about any other essential oil, it is very powerful oil.  To use you can blend into personal care products like bath gels, massage oils and lotions or you can place a few drops of jasmine oil in a vaporizer and let it permeate your home.

Jasmine oil blends well with Bergamot, Rose, Sandalwood and Citrus oils.

English: Glass vial containing Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) Essential Oil (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chamomile Oil

Chamomile oil, both Roman and German, are wonderful for their calming and relaxing properties.  They also help with treating PMS and other menstrual and menopausal problems and to heal and regenerate tissue. 

Many practitioners recommend using Chamomile to treat irritable children and colicky infants.  To use, blend in massage oil, place a few drops in the bath, blend into lotions and creams and place a few drops in a vaporizer or diffuser.

To create a powerful relaxing effect you can blend Chamomile with jasmine, lavender or rose oil. 

Essential oils have many wonderful properties. By combining a few of these, you can create your own signature scent which leaves you feeling happy, calm and peaceful - and without putting a whole bunch of nasty chemicals on your skin. You can also use them in diffusers in your home, to make your whole house smell and feel good. Try making a few of your own signature scents using these calming oils, and feel free to share your favorite recipe below!