Transform Your Life With Candles: Mental Health Awareness Month

We all know how amazing candles can be, bringing a relaxing mood to any room. This month has been all about raising awareness for Mental Health and we wanted to share just how incredible candles can be in helping our mental wellbeing!

 

Reduce anxieties

Candles are scientifically proven to soothe us and they play an essential role in the physiological effects of mood, stress, working capacity, and overall mental health.

The gentle quality of their light, makes them a perfect aid for any relaxation routine. The soft illumination alongside the aromas, creates a soothing atmosphere which calms the mind and relaxes the body. The art of ‘Candle Gazing’ is a simple yet effective tool of Meditation. As your eyes start to fix on the candle flame, you stop noticing anything beyond it – all other imagery fades from your vision and your brain receives no further information to process. This helps engages the mind in a state of calm, relaxed focus, the perfect preparation for meditation.

 

Encouraging positive memories

Our sense of smell is super powerful and shouldn’t be underestimated. Nostalgic memories and happy emotions can easily be triggered by a specific scent, which helps to create a feeling of happiness if it coincides with a particular time in your life.

The smell of scented candles stimulates our limbic system, the part of the brain that is home to our memory and emotions. Hormones like serotonin and dopamine can be produced to help regulate mood. Therefore, our emotional state is influenced by the relationship that exists between scents, memories, and emotions.

It could have been a bad day at work or you could be experiencing sadness, but lighting a candle which reminds you of a better time can make you feel happier and act as a welcome distraction. 

 

Increase productivity

Surrounding yourself with candles in your working from home setup not only creates an aesthetic upgrade, but they can actually relax you to increase your focus and help you become more productive. 

According to Apartment Therapy, there are certain scents which stimulate your mind – such as mint, lemon, orange, rosemary, and cinnamon. These aromas can invigorate your senses and help you with an extra boost of creativity and productivity, helping you stay on top of your work.

 

Improve your wellbeing

With such amazing impacts by triggering positive memories, specific scents also hold properties to increase your mood too. Scents of lemon helped to boost the immune system, regulate hormone levels and lower the dosage of people on antidepressants in a Japanese study, according to ELLE Decor.

Below is our list of top scents that are really great for our Mental Wellbeing…

Lavender – relaxes instantly both mind and body

Ylang ylang – promotes joy and ease

Jasmine – improves positive feelings and energy

Lemon – improves mood

Orange – reduces stress

Sage – lifts mood

Apple – controls anxiety

Cinnamon – makes you feel refreshed

Sandalwood – relaxes and calms body and mind

Peppermint – wakes up your mind and enhances focus

Frankincense – helps battle anxiety and gives great stress relief

Vanilla – increases happiness levels, uplifts your mood and stimulates feelings of relaxation and joy

 

We might be biased of course, but with such positive psychological effects we think candles are perfect for the next time you’re feeling negative energy and want to lift your mood. 

What’s more, here at Iggy Box we also donate to mental health charity Mind with every Iggy Box purchased… so candles are helping in more ways than one!

 

Whether it’s as a relaxing treat for yourself, or a caring gift for someone else, you can see our range here.