Aromatherapy for a Mood-Lifting Home Environment

by Lori Madden 01/31/2021

Photo by Seksak Kerdkanno via Pixabay

Diffusing aromas in your home is a great way to settle in, relax and enjoy a fresh, clean scent that calms the nerves.

How Do We Know Aromatherapy Works?

Research gives us the scoop. Take lavender, for example. Research shows lavender:

Eases nervousness much better than a placebo.
Raises people's scientifically measured mood scores and lowers distress, when accompanied in aromatherapy by rosemary and tea tree oils.
Eases restlessness, poor sleep, and other sleep problems.
Enhances "general well-being and quality of life."

When it comes down to the science, aromatherapy passes the smell test.

Uplifting Scents

You aren't limited to lavender. Many plants and their oils create a mood-enhancing home environment.

Pick up some eucalyptus branches and enjoy their stimulating scents in your bathroom or home office.

Or mix and match, creating your signature scent, with a blend of essential oils:

For a natural energy boost, diffuse peppermint and rosemary essential oils, accompanied by a citrus element, like bergamot orange.
For a gentle uplift, diffuse lavender with lemongrass.

Experiment and enjoy the process.

Tea Leaves, Revisited

If you happen to enjoy tea, you have a ready-made way to subtly scent your home year-round.

Did you know tea aromatherapy is a thing in Japan? Japanese tea leaf warmers are called chakouro. The idea is to ease stress and sharpen mental focus, while creating an ahhh home environment.

Aromatherapy oil warmers work just fine for putting tea leaves instead of the oil in the shallow saucer on top of the warmer. As they warm and their scent is diffused, your leaves will gently roast. After many hours, this creates a remainder of rich, brewable leaves, called hojicha in Japan.

Tea itself is aromatherapeutic. Green tea, jasmine, or sencha are all delightful. Sencha tea, with its rich, yellow hue, is gaining many western adherents, with good reason. Enjoy it hot or iced, garnished with a lemon wedge and a fresh sprig of mint. The scent is deeply satisfying.

Experiment with fragrance. Enjoy the adventure. And come home to a sanctuary every day.

Home Living

Aromatherapy

About the Author

Lori Madden

As a Florida native growing up in Sarasota, I have seen my hometown grow from a sleepy coastal town to a highly sought-after destination along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. After working in Chicago for 5 years, I returned to Sarasota and saw it through a new lens and really began to appreciate what makes Sarasota so desirable, including temperatures that allow for year round outdoor activities including tennis (a personal favorite), golf, boating, kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, or just relaxing and/or shelling on our pristine sandy shores, including Dr. Beach’s #1 beach in the United States for 2017, Siesta Key! Sarasota’s cultural amenities are many and diverse, appealing to a wide range of arts lovers. Downtown Sarasota has become a destination in itself, drawing many new developments for those who want to be within walking distance of Main Street's offerings and the picturesque bayfront and marina. Foodies will find an eclectic mix of locally owned and operated restaurants offering something for everyone, and there are now Farmers Markets every day of the week in various locations throughout Sarasota, but the Saturday morning Farmers Market in downtown Sarasota draws the biggest crowds. Since 1988, my passion has been selling real estate, representing both buyers and sellers. I have been recognized by my clients and customers for an uncompromising work ethic and dedication to helping them achieve their real estate goals. Relying on my experience as a real estate paralegal and being highly organized, I am able to help make the transition between contract and closing a smooth one for my clients. With an eye for interior and landscape design, I've been known to pitch in and help Sellers minimize and/or reorganize their belongings in order to stage their home to maximize its sale potential. I specialize in out of state buyers looking for their piece of paradise along the Gulf Coast and make it a priority to keep them up to date on our quickly changing local real estate market. I welcome the opportunity to share with you all Sarasota and her surrounding islands have to offer!