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The Best Scents for Energy and Focus

Homesick

Among their many benefits, scents can help improve your energy and focus. But not all scents are equally suited to all purposes, and some smells are better at increasing alertness and improving concentration. Here are six of our favorite fragrances for energy and focus:

Lemon

Just as you reach for lemon and honey tea when you’re feeling under the weather, so you should try smelling lemon when you’re feeling run down. As a whole, citrus scents boost alertness, increase energy and can help you wake up. Lemon in particular is an excellent choice if you’re looking for energy and focus. Whether you’re feeling keyed up or run down, lemon will promote feelings of clarity and calmness.

Orange

Orange is another citrus scent that will help boost energy and focus. Oranges come in two main flavors, sweet and bitter, and either one will work here. Like lemon, orange scent will boost energy and concentration, but it’s a bit less acidic than lemon, especially in its sweet orange form. If you want the energizing effects of citrus without the tanginess of the lemon, orange is the way to go.

Cinnamon

While cinnamon might not be the first scent that comes to mind when you think of “energizing,” the spice has a warming, stimulating effect. The smell of cinnamon helps fight fatigue and will gently boost your mental and physical alertness. This is an especially great scent to use in the fall and winter months when you’re looking for something more warming and comforting.

cinnamon sticks

Peppermint

This invigorating herb isn’t only good for tea and breath mints. The smell of peppermint lifts the spirits, helps improve focus and can clear away brain fog. Use this scent whenever you hit a slump during the day or whenever you need to think clearly. Peppermint a particularly great choice to enliven your post-lunch sleepiness.

Lavender

While lavender is often associated with improving sleep—and it can certainly do that—this smell will also boost your focus if you’re struggling with anxious jitters and an overactive brain. Lavender’s calming properties will help soothe nervous tension, allowing you to clear your head and concentrate on the task at hand.

Rosemary

If you need a pick-me-up in the morning in addition to your coffee, smelling rosemary is an excellent option. Rosemary’s stimulating properties will help wake you up, improve memory and focus and boost your mood. If you’ve never experimented with this herb, it’s well worth exploring.

dried and fresh lavender flowers

So, how should you enjoy your these scents? There are several different methods you can try. Some of our favorites are:

  • Reed diffusers: This method passively diffuses scented oils into the air using reeds full of microscopic channels. Reed diffusers can be left to run 24/7 and they don’t require a power or heat source, so they can be placed almost anywhere in the home. Because the fragrance oils are usually mixed in with water, the smell isn’t as concentrated as some of the other diffusing methods, but it does last longer.
  • Electric diffuser: These electronic devices plug into a wall and use either heat or ultrasonic waves to atomize the fragrance oils and diffuse them into the air. At Homesick, we chose ultrasonic technology for our own diffuser, since heat can cause the oil molecules to degrade. Aroma diffusers do need a power outlet to operate, and can’t be left on 24/7 like reed diffusers, but they also provide a stronger scent, which increases the benefits of the fragrance oil.
  • Candle: If all this sounds too complicated, you can always light a candle that contains one or some of these notes. Make sure to trim the wick before each use and allow the candle to fully melt across the surface. This way, you’ll get the most scent and hours out of your candle.

The right scents will help boost your energy and focus and improve your mental sharpness. If you’re looking to decrease fatigue and increase alertness, look for these six fragrances as you shop for your next scent.