Imagine for a second what your dream peaceful night at home might look like. Does it involve a meal prepared at home? A Netflix binge? Or perhaps a bubbly, wine-infused, heated bath? You will definitely light a candle (or five) to create the mood for an evening of relaxation and tranquility, no matter what your ideal self-care night-in entails.
Candles have been used for ages to create a serene atmosphere in spiritual occasions. However, there are a number of other reasons why you should burn candles in your house that can genuinely help with your mental state and well-being in addition to the fact that their dim light sources and fragrant aromas can create a peaceful sanctuary.
Before you light a candle in your home, let’s talk about all the advantages it can provide and why you should spend money to expand your collection. All scents have different ways to calm and sooth us, and the different candles scents do different things for us.
#1 – Improved focus and clarity
If you’ve ever needed an excuse to scatter some candles around your desk for “decorative” reasons, you can now use the justification that doing so can actually improve your concentration and boost your output. There are several scents that, according to Apartment Therapy, can stimulate your thinking. You may energize your senses and get the extra boost you need to stay on top of your work and away from your phone by inhaling the aromas of mint, lemon, orange, rosemary, and cinnamon.
#2 – Mood improvement
Smells are likely to have the same abilities to elevate your mood as they do to help you recall happy experiences from your past. A Japanese study on 12 sad individuals found that the smell of lemon improved their immune system, reduced the amount of pharmaceuticals they were taking, and controlled their hormone levels, according to ELLE Decor.
The next time you’re feeling down and want to rapidly improve your mood, consider using a candle that has a citrus or rosemary aroma while you meditate in the dark. As you try to clear your mind, concentrate on the energizing scent. For those of us who suffer in silence from the Sunday scaries, they also help give us a more calming look at the rest of the week.
#3 – Reinforce positve memoreis and emotions
When you’re feeling down and want to recall a happy memory, there may be a reason why you want to light a specific candle and cuddle up on the couch. Certain smells can readily bring back emotions and memories, which can make you happy if they remind you of a happy memory or period in your life. Numerous behavioral studies, according to Psychology Today, show that odors are more likely to bring up strong emotional memories and can rapidly improve your mood if you’re feeling low. If you’re feeling down, grieving, or have simply had a bad day, lighting a candle that conjures up a pleasant memory might help you feel better and help you to stop worrying about the little things.
#4 – Creates a pleasant morning or evening routine
Candles have been used in ceremonies, whether religious or not, for ages. Candles are now used in homes to help create the ideal atmosphere at specific times of the day and to help people feel more relaxed. Candles are an excellent option to use during specific times (such as bathtime, meditation, prayer, or yoga) in order to enhance these meditative ideas and help you start or end the day on the right foot. Setting up routines in your own house helps you decide how you want to wind down or begin your day. One or two candles should be lit when performing your overnight skincare routine or having your morning beverage.
#5 – A deeper, more pleasant sleep
As we’ve previously said, using devices immediately before bed can interfere with your sleep routine and have long-term detrimental impacts on your health because you aren’t getting the essential 7-9 hours of sleep. Your magnesium levels are decreased by the blue light emitted from displays, which might make you feel less rested and more nervous.
Living by candlelight and turning out your lights early can actually help you feel calmer earlier in the evening and go back into the rhythm of your regular sleep cycles to combat this. It’s simpler to listen to your body and recognize when to stop for the night without distraction when technology isn’t interfering. Additionally, living by candlelight in the evenings can help you sleep better at night by allowing you to be more attentive of your thoughts and behaviors. Additionally, this will reduce your monthly electric bill by a few bucks.
#6 – Lower stress and anxiety
It’s easy to point out that everyone most likely includes a few candles during their self-care rituals to ease stress and implement calming properties into the atmosphere. Certain scented candles are used during aromatherapy to help with anxiety and depression, improve quality of life and sleep, and even ease some of the side effects of cancer treatments like nausea and pain. When life feels too overwhelming and throwing your computer out the window is not an option, light a candle with notes of chamomile, bergamot, lavender, and frankincense, and pray to the gods above that your stress will go down so you can go about your day.
