Top 3 scents you should be using in your office

Scents can facilitate a way to immediately engage with employees as soon as they enter the workspace, as well as setting the mood and atmosphere for the day or meeting ahead.

Research has shown that smell is the sense most closely linked to emotional recollection and it is the most sensitive of the senses. This means that if someone walks into the workplace at the start of the day and it smells bad, then this could have a negative effect on mood and creative an uncomfortable work environment, thus impacting performance.

A workspace with a pleasant scent can lead to positive outcomes, such as increased productivity and overall job satisfaction.

Creating a welcoming and appealing workspace environment is important, not only for employees but for visiting clients and prospective clients too as scent is a great way to make a positive lasting impression. Research has shown that people can remember smells with 65% accuracy after a year, while visual recall is about 50% after three months – utilising scent can increase emotional connection with clients.

So which scents should you be using in your office? Here are my top three:

1. Use peppermint to improve productivity
2. Use lavender to reduce stress
3. Use eucalyptus to reduce sick days

So how can eucalyptus reduce sick days I hear you say?

Well according to a study at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, they found that eucalyptus essential oil “demonstrated effective antiviral and antimicrobial properties,” helping kill and prevent the spread of the flu bugs.

By contrast, scents of cinnamon, lemongrass, and lavender weren’t nearly as effective at combating illness, so would be good to alternate to keep those senses alive!

Blowing some eucalyptus, Cinnamon or lemongrass through the office during the flu season may just reduce your total sick days for the year, improving health and preventing costly downtime.

The focus on scent within the workspace is growing, with more and more companies beginning to introduce signature fragrances, creating pleasant smells that they want to be associated to their culture and brand. Popular choices for offices are fragrances that illicit calming, soothing emotions and create a welcoming space that are not too divisive such as vanilla, tea and camomile.