How fragrance affects task performance in the workplace
With a plethora of hacks - and apps – on the market promising to increase productivity in the workplace, aromatherapy probably isn't at the top of your list. But if you're looking to improve employee performance, it should be.
The science behind the scent
Scent is the only human sense that can bypass the cognitive part of the brain and go straight to the limbic system, or the area of the brain that stores all of our memories. Because of this it has the ability to directly influence behavior.
Companies have been leveraging "scent branding" (also known as olfactory branding) for years to create brand awareness and influence consumer behavior. In an office setting, scent can also be used to improve task performance.
Scents known to boost productivity, improve mood and promote creativity include:
- Citrus - fresh scents like lemon, orange and grapefruit are known to increase energy levels and promote concentration.
- Peppermint - this brain booster invigorates the mind and inspires creativity.
- Jasmine - nature's stress reducer, jasmine is used to calm nerves and promote feelings of confidence and optimism.
- Rosemary - dubbed the "Monday morning pick-me-up", rosemary's stimulating properties fight physical exhaustion, mental fatigue and headaches.
Smell affects emotions by 75%
A Japanese company that studied how smells affect the accuracy of typists found that employees made 20% fewer mistakes in a lavender-scented environment, 33% fewer errors when they smelled jasmine and 54% fewer typing errors when lemon was diffused in the environment.
And that’s not all. Diffusing scents at work can also disinfect and freshen up the environment (goodbye office cold!), reduce stress and even increase employee retention. And because happy employees = happy customers, this is a productivity hack business owners should get behind.
Discover what scent can do for your business
Our line of commercial scenting machines is flexible and can be used in spaces of any size - from a small conference room to an entire building.
Contact our Scent Experts to schedule a consultation today.
