Smelling Good, Feeling Good

Closing windows makes indoor air stale until ventilation and cleaning restore freshness. Fresh smells are hard to describe but are recognized immediately, and good ventilation, clean HVAC filters, and regular dusting, vacuuming, and mopping help maintain that baseline. Once freshness is established, mood can be improved by adding scents that people generally find pleasant. Floral scents are widely perceived as appealing. Cultural food and holiday traditions create positive associations, such as vanilla with baked goods and cinnamon and pine with end-of-year holidays. Personal memories tied to specific odors can also elevate mood, such as jasmine associated with family time. Lavender is suggested as a scent to consider based on scientific studies.

"When we're in a place that smells good, mood improves, and when that happens, we are more effective problem-solvers, we think more creatively, and we get along better with others. A space smells good when it smells fresh. "Fresh" is one of those sensory experiences we recognize when we encounter it but find hard to describe in words. If you're opening windows when you can, have an up-to-date ventilation system, clean/replace your HVAC system's air filters on schedule, and keep up with the dusting, vacuuming, and mopping, your home is probably smelling pretty fresh."

"Once you've established a fresh base, what scents should you layer on? Worldwide, people generally think floral scents smell good. Each culture's baking and holiday traditions generate all sorts of odors that have positive associations and boost mood. In North America, for example, we link the smell of vanilla to baked goods we relish and the end-of-year holidays to cinnamon and pine."

"If you associate a pleasant memory with a scent, smelling that odor will improve your mood. If a jasmine vine encircled your grandmother's veranda and you had great times on that veranda with your relatives, smelling jasmine today will elevate your mood."

"What does the research say about the specific smells you should look for in scented products or air fresheners? Now is the time to use the lavender potpourri you've been given over the years or to scout out some lavender-scented soaps/cleaners. Scientific studies sho"

Read at Psychology Today