How To Use Scent Psychology to Master Productivity

How many times have you wished there was a switch that could put you into a state of heightened productivity?

As it turns out, there might be: introducing scent psychology. By understanding the power of scent and how it affects your mind and body, you can harness it and start to see a real difference in your performance.

In this article, we will outline the process of scent anchoring and discuss how you can use it to improve your productivity.

Stay tuned – by the end of this post, you'll be well on your way to mastering performance!

We'll be covering:

1. What Is Scent Psychology?
2. How Do You Anchor Scents To Increase Productivity?
3. How To Avoid Anchoring Scents To Negative Emotions
4. What Fragrance Notes Help To Boost Productivity And Performance?

#1 What Is Scent Psychology?

It's no secret that your sense of smell is connected to your emotions, but do you know how much it can affect your life?

The olfactory system is what allows people to get familiar with scents around them – without this key piece in our neurological puzzle, we wouldn't be able to detect any smells at all!

But did you realize the close proximity between these two systems means scent also affects everything from moods to memory formation rates too?

We all have moments in our lives when we experience smells that make us happy, sad, or feel transported to another place. It's truly fascinating how the olfactory system can trigger emotions and memories with just one smell!

We call this scent anchoring. More on this shortly.

The smell of manure instantly takes me back to my childhood when I spent time with family in the country. It's not a pleasant smell, but it does bring up happy moments from long ago.

I'm sure you've experienced this too, right? Remember when you were in a department store and found that the scent of your favorite cologne boosted your mood? Or maybe that time you passed a rose bush, and your mind was instantly transported back to your wedding day.

These are both examples of scent anchoring – i.e. a specific smell transports you to a specific memory or emotional state.

It's a phenomenon that, when harnessed correctly, can be used for good. But get it wrong, and the same principle can have some pretty negative effects on your life.

In short, scent psychology is when smells bring on emotions or memories. Scent anchoring is the way that your brain achieves this.

#2 How Do You Anchor Scents To Increase Productivity?

So how do you use scent anchoring to your advantage?

As it turns out, there's a very easy way to start the process – and all it involves is exposing yourself to certain scents regularly and intentionally.

For example, if you want to anchor the scent of your favorite cologne to a feeling of happiness, all you need to do is wear it while performing an activity that makes you feel good.

It could be anything from going on a date to playing your favorite sport – as long as it's something that puts you in a positive mood.

However, when it comes to using scent psychology to promote productivity and heightened performance, things can be a bit trickier. After all, it's hard to find an activity that makes you feel motivated if you're in a state of procrastination and low energy.

As such, I recommend ensuring that whenever you feel even the slightest sensation of motivation, you take a moment to anchor that scent.

For instance, let's say you're sitting at your desk working on a project when you suddenly get an urge to stand up and take a break.

But instead of succumbing to the temptation, you stay put and push through the urge. At that moment, take a quick sniff of your anchoring scent to cement it as a scent associated with productivity.

It could be your favorite coffee scent, an invigorating citrus fragrance, or even just a mild hand lotion! Sure, there are fragrances that help to boost your productivity more than others, but any scent will do for basic scent anchoring.

The point is to find a scent that makes you feel good and associate it with being productive.

#3 How To Avoid Anchoring Scents To Negative Emotions

Scent anchoring can be a powerful tool to increase productivity, but preventing negative emotions from becoming attached to the scent is important.

The key is to completely avoid your anchor scent whenever you're feeling negative emotions. Easier said than done, I know – but there's an easy way to make sure that you only experience your anchor scent when in a state of productivity.

Place your anchor scent at your place of work. If it's a cologne, only spray it when you sit down to work, and if it's a candle or diffuser or some sort, place it on your desk.

DO NOT WEAR OR ACTIVATE YOUR ANCHOR SCENT ANYWHERE ELSE. That means not wearing the cologne at home, on a date, or anywhere else. Remember, the purpose of this scent is to promote productivity, so don't wear it outside of your place of work.

The same goes for any other scent you might want to use as an anchor. Place it in your office and only activate it when you're there to work.

Doing this will create a strong association between the scent and productivity. It will also ensure that the scent doesn't become associated with any negative emotions.

Feeling negative emotions at work? Then get away from that scent as quickly as possible. Remove yourself from your desk and get outside where the smell of your cologne won't be as intense.

#4 What Fragrance Notes Help To Boost Productivity And Performance?

Our body's reaction to different aromas has been studied extensively. For example, lavender is a well-known olfactory relaxant that can be found in sleep products.

The right smell can have a powerful effect on our mental state. Scent anchoring helps integrate the experience of sight and sound, but different scents affect us in different ways

On the topic of performance and productivity, look out for the following olfactory notes:

1. Rosemary – helps heighten memory and alertness
2. Vetiver – boosts oxygenation within our cells, helping increase concentration
3. Coffee – a great anchor scent to wake us up
4. Lemon – boosts focus and helps us avoid making errors in our work
5. Jasmine – promotes a positive outlook and helps to give us energy
6. Ginger – fights fatigue and can even help to lessen pain
7. Lemongrass – reduces stress and can lessen the effects of anxiety
8. Peppermint – helps us to become laser-focused on the task at hand

Whether it be as a raw ingredient or part of a cologne's scent profile, exposing yourself to these scents can help to up your performance to the next level.

As such, I would advise choosing a cologne that contains a mixture of these scents when considering which fragrance you want to use as your anchoring fragrance.

Mission Fragrances is specifically formulated to help improve and anchor productivity. Click here to join the early bird list and reserve your set while you still can!