There are certain things we tend to categorize as “women’s stuff” that probably shouldn’t be.

Lip balm. Moisturizer. Essential oils.

And while women may be more likely to talk openly about these things, I know there are plenty of men out there — including some very macho ones — who understand exactly what I’m talking about.

You know who you are.

You may not call it aromatherapy.

You may call it your cologne. Your beard oil. That "eucalyptus shower thing". The cedarwood spray in your office. The peppermint roller you pretend is “just because it smells good.”

Sure, sir.

Whatever helps you maintain the illusion.

The point is this:

Scent changes a moment.

And when you spend most of your day staring at a screen, that matters more than we probably realize.

Humans were not built to stare at a screen all day

I’m building an ecommerce company while consulting for clients, which means I can spend 14–16 hours in front of a computer on a busy day.

At a certain point, you stop feeling like a human being and start feeling like an extension of the machine.

That’s why you’ll usually find the entire Ella Vatour Evolution Series sitting next to me.

I never know which one I’m going to reach for.

Some days I need to slow down. Some days I need to get moving. Some days I need to stop circling the same problem and shift gears.

For me, scent interrupts the loop.

And that’s where aromatherapy at work becomes much more interesting than simply making a room smell nice.

Essential oils for focus? Think cue, not cure.

We talk endlessly about productivity apps, AI, time blocking, standing desks and every other trick designed to make us better at sitting in front of a machine.

Meanwhile, one of the fastest ways we experience the world is sitting directly in the middle of our face.

Our nose.

Scent has a close relationship with parts of the brain involved in emotion and memory. That’s why one smell can suddenly transport you into your grandmother’s kitchen, your first apartment, an old relationship or some completely random summer afternoon you haven’t thought about in twenty years.

So when people search for essential oils for focus, essential oils for stress or aromatherapy at work, I think there’s a much more useful way to think about scent.

Not as a cure.

As a cue.

A small sensory interruption.

A reason to stop for ten seconds, breathe, reset and approach the next thing differently.

After hours of clicking, typing, scrolling and staring into artificial light, ten seconds of being back in your body is not nothing.

This is how I use scent during the workday

I might be deep into a project and suddenly realize I’ve been staring at the same paragraph for twenty minutes.

I grab a scent, roll it on and inhale.

Maybe I need Exhale because I’m frustrated.

Maybe I need Pause because my brain is moving too fast.

Maybe I need Fuel because 3 p.m. has arrived and apparently someone replaced my brain with soup.

Maybe I need Blüm because I’m in the middle of something difficult and just need to stay steady.

Or maybe I need Embody because I’m walking into something important and want to remind myself who the hell I am.

The scent isn’t doing the work for me.

It’s marking a transition.

This moment is different from the one before it.

That matters when your whole workday happens in the same chair.

And no, this is not just a woman thing

I think women are generally more comfortable talking about sensory wellness.

But I also know there are men doing the exact same thing but just not announcing it.

The guy with the cedar cologne he puts on before a meeting.

The one who keeps peppermint gum in his desk because it wakes him up.

The man who lights the same candle when he works from home.

The gym guy who has eucalyptus everything.

The musician who has one scent he wears before going onstage.

Different packaging.

Same instinct.

We all use sensory cues more than we realize.

Some of us just give them fancier names.

One important workplace rule

Please do not turn the office into an aromatherapy hostage situation.

Not everyone wants peppermint blasted through Accounting for eight hours.

People have sensitivities. People have preferences. Susan from payroll may simply want to eat her sandwich in peace.

That’s one reason I like personal scent.

A roll-on stays close to you.

You get the experience without requiring everyone within thirty feet to participate in your wellness journey.

Very civilized.

And honestly, that might be one of the simplest forms of workplace wellness there is.

Not another corporate initiative.

Not another app.

Just understanding what helps you reset and keeping it close.

Maybe we’re all onto something

So whether it’s an essential oil, perfume, cologne, beard oil, face mist or something else entirely, pay attention to the things you instinctively reach for during the day.

There may be a reason.

Maybe you’re not simply trying to smell good.

Maybe you’re changing the atmosphere.

Maybe you’re creating a pause.

Maybe you’re reminding yourself that after eight, ten or fourteen hours in front of a glowing rectangle, you are still a human being with senses.

And if that makes the next hour a little easier?

I’ll take it.

Come back to your senses.

Check out the Evolution Series on EllaVatour.com

Until the next one,

BrookeLynn