Optimizing workplace emotional states: Evidence from aromatic environmental exposure

In contemporary society, escalating stress and competition in workplace have posed significant challenges to the mental health of office workers. Within built environments dominated by concrete and steel, olfactory stimulation through aromatic environments has emerged as a promising approach to enhancing emotional well-being. This study examines the emotional and physiological impacts of rosemary, lemon and peppermint on office workers. Participants were exposed to varying odour types, concentrations and release frequencies over a 2.5-h period. The results demonstrate that exposure to aromatic environments during work could effectively enhance emotional states and alleviates stress, with the impact varying based on odour type and release conditions. Rosemary was shown to reduce heart rate and lower the low-frequency to high-frequency ratio (LF/HF) of heart rate variability, thereby supporting cardiac autonomic regulation. Lemon could significantly decrease skin conductance levels (SCLs), with heightened exposure doses and olfactory perception leading to improved subjective emotional states, reduced LF/HF and increased percentage of successive RR intervals that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50). Peppermint also reduced the SCLs, and moderate exposure intensity was associated with a decline in LF/HF during work periods. These results provide evidence-based recommendations for the design of aromatic environments to support emotional well-being in office settings.