幫你你提高工作能力的5種美妙香氣
Most offices have a base note of stale coffee, a hint of photocopier toner and a whiff of despair. What you smell can influence your mood, so it's a little bit crazy we don't pay more attention to the scent of our workplace.
許多辦公室都會有一種過期咖啡的基調，一點複印機油墨味，還有一絲絲絕望的氣息。你所吸入的氣味會影響你的心情，所以若我們對辦公室裏的氣味不多加留意，那麼就會有點說不過去了。
In Japan, it's not unusual for workplaces to use scent to revive or relax workers, depending on the time of day. A study from Japanese fragrance company Takasago recently showed that typos were reduced by more than 50% when a lemon scent was diffused into the air.
在日本的在工作場合，利用香味來激勵和舒緩員工的工作情緒早已見慣不怪，依照一天的不同時間而定。一份來自日本香料公司Takasago最新研究發現，當空氣中充滿了檸檬香味的時候，打字出錯的概率降低了50%以上。
Meanwhile, in the shopping world, companies have been offering "scent branding" for retail premises for years in order to enhance the "overall sensory customer experience" - a.k.a make us all spend more money.
與此同時，在購物領域裏，購物公司爲了達到“總體感官顧客體驗”的效果——也就是讓我們多花錢，早已多年在零售店開展了 “香味品牌推廣”的業務。
So which fragrances can improve your faculties? And what scents can scintillate your brain? We've taken a look at some key smells that could up your office's productivity levels.
那麼有哪些香味能提高你的工作能力？哪些香味又能激發大腦的能量？我們已經分別研究了一些主要的香味，有助讓員工的工作能力提高到新的層次。
1. Rosemary
1. 迷迭香
Rosemary is credited with helping clear thinking, improving memory and energizing your mind.
迷迭香被譽爲有助思維清晰，增強記憶和啓迪心智的好幫手。
2. Jasmine
2. 茉莉花
In addition to helping relaxation, Jasmine can ease tension and nerves.
除了放鬆，茉莉花香還能緩解緊張不安的情緒。
3. Citrus
3. 柑橘類
All citrus smells offer positive benefits. Grapefruit can help fight mental exhaustion, lemon is uplifting, orange can ease stress and bergamot oil is even used to treat depression.
所有的柑橘類果香都益處多多。葡萄柚能舒緩精神疲憊，檸檬有提神的效果，橘子能夠緩解壓力，香檸檬油還能用來治療抑鬱症。
4. Lavender
4. 薰衣草
A very calming scent, lavender relieves stress and reduces anxiety.
薰衣草香是一種寧神靜氣的香味，有助緩解壓力和減少焦慮情緒。
5. Peppermint
5. 薄荷
Minty smells are energizing and refreshing. Peppermint is said to aid concentration and stimulate the mind.
薄荷香氣有激活身心和提神養氣的作用。並且據說薄荷還能增強專注力和刺激思維。
Practicalities
實際運用
If you're going to go down the essential oils route, then be sure to read up on safety tips first. As most office managers would rather eat their own clipboard than even consider a naked flame in the office, you're probably going to need to look at alternatives to scented candles or traditional oil burners.
如果你打算走精油路線，那就要熟讀所有的安全指示。因爲辦公室經理們寧可吃掉自己的剪貼板也不想看到辦公室出現一絲明火的痕跡，所以你就該看看能否找到作爲替代的香氣蠟燭或者傳統的精油點燃器。
You can buy battery-operated oil diffusers, plug-in humidifiers or even USB-powered options. A bowl of water with a few drops of oil near a heat source can make a difference in air quality. A dish of scented potpourri poses no health or safety risks, and the same goes for scented sachets or bamboo fragrance sticks. If it's not going to offend anyone who shares your office space, you could spritz a scent every time you feel yourself dragging.
你可以購買一個電池供電的精油散發器，插電的加溼器或USB插頭供電的設備。在一碗清水裏滴進幾滴精油，靠近發熱源就可以營造出一種完全不同的空氣質量。一小盤混合花香不會對健康或安全造成威脅，香包或香氣竹條也一樣。在不冒犯他人的前提下，在共享辦公室裏你還可以在有需要的時候隨時噴灑香水。
Finally, if you're really on your own in wanting to inhale some mood-enhancing smells, a quick sniff of a scented handkerchief might be enough to give your brain a boost.
最後一點，如果你本人真的急需吸取改善心情的氣味，那麼嗅一嗅帶香氣的手帕也足以增強大腦動力。
