3 Reasons Candles Change Your Mood
Have you ever lit a candle, and noticed feeling better right away?
Say the day is average, or maybe not so great, but you finally get a chance to unwind and fish out a candle. After lighting the candle, the air fills with a lovely smell, and you get a sense of peace that makes everything seem just a bit better. Well, you’re not alone. There is a reason that so many people associate candles with relaxation, spas, and tension easing. It’s aromatherapy, and more to make you a little more comfortable and happy.
Here are the 3 main reasons candles change your mood:
1. We associate smells with memories
Whether it’s grandma’s baking, a walk through the tulips downtown, or an afternoon at the beach, there are certain memories we naturally associate with particular smells. If we have happy memories of spending all day with Nana making cookies as a kid, the second we smell something that reminds us of her cookies in the oven, later in life, it’s natural to feel happier.
So, why?
According to information provided by Rachel Herz (a neuroscientist at Brown University) in Psychology Today, “an odor has no personal significance until it becomes connected to something that has meaning.” After you do make a connection though, like the smell of cookies and the positive memory of baking with nana, for instance, something very interesting begins to happen. ”With your initial encounter you begin forming nerve connections that intertwine the smell with emotions.” In other words, an actual linkage in the brain takes place! “The capacities for both smell and emotion are rooted in the same network of brain structures.” Candles come in many wonderful smells that we can associate with cheerful moments. Homesick candles is one brand in particular that uses this nostalgia to create an excellent line of candles. Their “Birthday” scent smells just like the frosting that covered many of our cakes over the years. Come explore all of their awesome collections in-store at Lewes Gifts and Bayside Gifts today!
2. Candles create an atmosphere
“Setting the mood” is more than a saying. It’s a practice that effectively changes the atmosphere of your home. Dimming the lights and putting out candles can create a vibe that inspires relaxation. We associate darkness with evening, which means bedtime and the time our body enters a restful state. The small flickering of candles allows us to take away the harsh overhead lights we are under all throughout the workday, and unwind in a more peaceful presence. It’s almost as if taking away some of the light and switching to candles also gets rid of the problems in front of us, physically and metaphorically.
3. We have the choices
It’s very easy to go candle crazy with all of the options on the market. It seems like today there is a scent for absolutely everything! This means that you can choose almost any smell you like. In fact, you can stock up and get your favorite scents for every mood and occasion. It seems understandable that the smell of the candle you like the most would make you cheerful. If your favorite memory is of walking by the lavender fields in Milton, then lighting a candle that smells like lavender (especially with the knowledge provided by Rachel Herz) would inspire pleasant or uplifting feelings.
Clearly candles have a level of power capable of creating an entire vibe. If you are feeling tired, stressed, or unhappy, it’s possible that lighting a candle is a good option that extends beyond hype. If you think that a candle has influenced your mood in the past, it is not just in your head. There is actually evidence to explain why our feelings can be changed by the smell of candles.
Source: The Hidden Force of Fragrance. (2007, November). Psychology Today. Retrieved June 29, 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200711/the-hidden-force-fragrance
Photo Credit: Homesick
- Michiko Seto