Stop & Smell the Roses
Who doesn’t love freshly cut floral arrangements in their home? Personally, I love arranging my own flowers and I buy dozens of roses every week or every other week because I enjoy their smell and how they brighten a room.
Interestingly, scientists have been doing research on the impact roses have on people’s brains and today’s blog goes over the impact a bouquet of roses can have on your brain and how you can improve your mental health by stopping to smell the roses.
As it turns out they are not just a pretty decoration, smelling roses can have some pretty amazing cognitive benefits. The Feb. 4th, 2020 edition of Martha Stuart’s online magazine features the findings of a new study published in Scientific Reports that the scents of roses can help people retain information and success in learning. The scent of roses can give your brain a boost overnight.
Part of the study used two test groups, including sixth-grade students studying for an exam. One of the test groups studied while smelling rose-scented incense, whereas the other did not. The researchers placed rose-scented incense near the group as a retrieval cue and the test group demonstrated stronger information retention than those who did not.
Some of the students used rose-scented incense while they slept, and the students that used rose-scented incense during both their study and sleeping phases demonstrated a 30% increase in learning. The findings of these reports were also published in Neuroscience News.
The benefits of smelling roses benefit you and your family. It is a wonderful way to give your brain a natural boost and teach your children how they can support their mental health. Consider not only keeping roses on the table in your house but in your office, on your children’s desks, and on your night tables to give your children and yourself those mental boosts. You could even use aromatherapy in the house with rose oil to give your house the fresh smell of roses.
Teach your children the benefits of smelling roses and a great way to spend the day (when it’s not raining) is at the Berkeley Rose Garden where you can find thousands of roses. They provide an ample garden where you can spend the day smelling the roses.
If you want to read the Martha Stuart article, click below.