Have you ever walked into a room with a candle lit and noticed how it can instantly change your mood? Stress can melt away as soothing scents overwhelm your senses. Perhaps you’ve even experienced the opposite effect. The smells of the world around you can increase your awareness and heighten your senses, allowing you to focus better on the tasks at hand.

Aromatherapy is a simple technique that many holistic health providers will encourage patients to pursue. It takes only a few moments each day to help you boost your mental energy or relax for a quiet evening at home.

Essential oils tend to be key in incorporating aromatherapy into daily life. These simple oils are derived from plant extracts and then absorbed and processed by the body in a variety of ways.

If you’ve been wondering about how aromatherapy can work in your daily life, try following a few of these suggestions:

Make your own perfumes

You don’t have to go to a fancy shop to select fragrance notes for your next bottle of perfume. Instead, you can make your own roller bottles of perfume right over your own bathroom sink. Purchase a few empty glass roller bottles and a few different types of oils to get started.

Most perfumes will work best with a carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil or jojoba oil. Both are easily absorbed into the skin for lasting benefits throughout the day. From there, you can select an essential oil that meets your need. You may even want to mix and match some of these oils to create more depth or to receive even more benefits.

Gather a few ideas from these common essential oils:

• Lavender, frankincense, or vetiver for calming
• Grapefruit, lemon, or wild orange for increased focus and mental clarity
• Peppermint or spearmint to relax muscles and nerves

Fill your roller bottle up three-fourths of the way with carrier oil and add ten to twenty drops of essential oil. Apply as needed for a mental shift throughout the day.

Diffuse oils instead of burning candles

 Perfume isn’t the only way you can gain a boost from these essential oils during the day. Purchase a diffuser instead of candles so you can harness the power of aromatherapy anywhere. All you need to do is follow the manufacturer’s instructions for adding water and the appropriate number of essential oil drops.

Take a bath

 Almost everyone knows how relaxing a bubble bath can be at the end of a long day. Add an extra layer of relaxation to your next luxurious bath with the help of essential oils. Nothing could be easier than slipping into a tub full of hot water and soaking up the scents at the same time.

While the hot water is filling the bathtub, add a full cup of Epsom salt. Five drops of essential oil mixed with a teaspoon of carrier oil can then be mixed into the water. You should consider setting aside a full half hour to gain the most benefits from this method.

Anytime you feel like you could use a little mental boost or help with your emotions, essential oils can be a great alternative to conventional medicine. Aromatherapy is easy to incorporate into your daily routine, so why not try a few drops today?