Gardening

Feeling Overwhelmed? Stop And Smell The Roses

Posted: 1/21/2011

Studies suggest incorporating aromatherapy into your daily routine to take advantage of the many benefits of floral scents.

(NAPSI)-For decades, people have advised friends to cope with stress by taking some time to “stop and smell the roses.” Now, research shows that the old cliché might be onto something—that floral scents might actually increase productivity and mental performance.

For example, a study conducted by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago found that people exposed to a mixed floral aroma completed memory-testing portions of neuropsychological tests 17 percent faster than those not exposed to the aroma. A study published in the journal Science showed that students exposed to the smell of roses while studying performed tests with 97 percent accuracy, compared to 86 percent accuracy among those not exposed.

“Learning and memory retention can depend on multiple variables: attention span, interest in the subject at hand, task difficulty, state of mind and what’s going on around you,” said Dr. Alan Hirsch, executive director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. “The area of the brain that regulates arousal and sleep-wake transitions is particularly sensitive to odor. Floral odors like rose, jasmine and lavender have been shown to enhance the brain’s learning mechanisms and positively impact memory.”

Fresh flowers, however, aren’t the only way to reap the benefits. According to Dr. Hirsch, other ways to incorporate floral aromas into a daily routine include:

• Use floral-scented body washes and lotions;

• Drink a cup of green or black tea rich in aromatic scents;

• Use a rose-scented room freshener at night;

• Light scented candles in high traffic areas always—just remember to keep them out of reach of young children;

• Keep sachets of lavender in dresser drawers;

• Float orange rinds in glasses of water;

• Incorporate scented cleaning products, such as Pine-Sol Lavender, which has a calming floral aroma.

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