Lets be honest, many of you hate housecleaning. You’d rather do anything than clean a bathroom right? And getting kids to clean their room! Ugh… that can be a real struggle for parents. Well, it may be easier than you think to change your attitude towards cleaning and that of your children.
The practice of aromatherapy is well known for its ability to trigger memories, and influence emotions and thought, but recent research shows that it can even effect behavior and actually set the “mood” for cleaning. How cool is that!
“The ability of essential oils to act on both the mind and the body is what makes them truly unique among natural substances. The fragrance of some essential oils can be very stimulating– both psychologically and physically.”– D. Gary Young
Your sense of smell exerts a surprising and powerful influence over your body on the physical, mental and emotional levels. Many find the use of genuine, premium-grade Young Living essential oils very uplifting and diffuse them every day.
As you inhale an aroma, odour molecules enter your nostrils and drift up toward your olfactory receptors. Once the receptors identify an odor, nerve cells relay this information directly to the limbic system. The olfactory nerve cells are the only sensory pathways that open directly into the brain. The limbic system is a group of deep brain structures that are involved in the sense of smell. Here odors can trigger memories and influence emotions and behavior. Did you know that the brain registers aroma twice as fast as it does pain. No wonder the inhalation of aromas can have such a powerful effect on and in transforming the emotions. The limbic system works with the nervous, respiratory, circulatory and immune systems of our bodies.
Studies at the University of Vienna have shown that some essential oils and their primary constituents (cineol) can stimulate blood flow and activity in the emotional regions of the brain.
According to a study published in Psychological Science back in 2005, researchers found that “cleaning-related activities increased” when individuals where exposed to citrus-related scents! How awesome is that?
Three different studies revealed various unconscious influences on participants just from the mere short term exposure to citrus scents. Researchers found that citrus scents had a direct influence on participants.
- It influenced their thoughts and subsequent behaviors
- Participants kept their direct environment more clean
- Participants indicated that they were more willing to give money to charity and to feel good about their decision to share with others
How to Use This Secret Weapon
FOR KIDS: Make a plan. Decide when you want them to pick up their room. Are you going to ask over the weekend, or during the weekday? Start diffusing citrus essential oils 1/2 hour before making the request. So if you plan on asking on Saturday morning, set up a diffuser in their room, add 6-10 drops of Citrus Fresh essential oil blend (or other oils like lemon, tangerine or lime) and diffuse for at least 1/2 hour before making your request. If you plan on doing during the weekday, start diffusing in their bedroom 1/2 hour before they arrive home from school. Wait 1/2 hour, and then make your request.
FOR YOU: For those of you who hate doing housework, decide when you’re going to clean and start diffusing 1/2 hour before. Have fun! Try experimenting with the different citrus oils and see if you can find the one that seems to have the most impact on your attitude towards cleaning.
I recommend starting with Citrus Fresh™- It comes in the Premium Starter Kit and is one of Young Living’s most iconic, uplifting blends and combines six essential oils: Orange, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Lemon, Mandarin, and Spearmint. Citrus oils are known for their clean, uplifting, refreshing aromas
CITRUS FRESH
• Purifies the air of unwanted odors
• Creates a clean, fresh scent in any environment when diffused
• Can be inhaled to inspire feelings of creativity and joy
• Promotes feelings of happiness and comfort when diffused
• Has an energizing, invigorating, and uplifting scent
• Creates a focused and creative aromatic environment when diffused
• Can be used during times of occasional sadness to uplift the spirit
When diffused, citrus essential oils can bring about a sense of well-being, creativity, and feelings of joy while also freshening the air. Start making them part of your everyday lifestyle today and kick toxic, chemical-laden air fresheners and scented candles to the curb. Just make sure that you are using genuine, premium-grade essential oils otherwise you’re just exchanging one set of dangerous, synthetic chemicals for another. They just plain do a body good and are so beneficial on so many levels!
CITRUS FRESH
TANGERINE
ORANGE
LIME
LEMON
SOURCE REFERENCES
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/16/9/689
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24628448
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/09/04/essential-oils-aromatherapy.aspx
http://trialconsult.com/litigare-blog/2013/9/17/a-nose-for-moral-behavior-how-smell-can-directly-affect-thoughts-and-behaviors
