Stressed at work? Try sniffing ROSE OIL trends now
Forget stress balls or breathing exercises.
Aromatherapy might be the best way of dealing with the pressures of work, researchers think.
Nurses who wore a vile of rose oil around their neck for a month — allowing them to inhale the floral smell everywhere they went — saw their stress levels drop by more than a tenth.
Experts in Iran claim the approach 'effectively reduced job stress', and its effects could be even greater with continued use.
Scientists say that aromatherapy — the use of essential plant oils to boost mental wellbeing, which has been practised for centuries — could be key
The centuries-old therapy, which was practised in Ancient Egypt, China and India, typically involves inhaling or massaging oils to boost mental health or ease pain.
But some studies have rubbished aromatherapy — warning it triggers no benefits.
Stress, the body's reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure, is common and can be motivating.
But high levels over time can trigger mental exhaustion and anxiety, as well as high blood pressure, sleeping difficulties and changes in appetite.
Previous studies have shown nurses can experience extremely high levels of stress, to the point that it harms their job performance and personal life — leading to some leaving work.
Alternative therapies — including yoga, acupuncture and meditation — have all been advocated to ease stress.
But a team at Semnan University of Medical Sciences claimed that aromatherapy is another option.
To determine whether the therapy could lower nurses' stress, Mohsen Emadikhalaf and colleagues recruited 118 medics
