I tried AIRY fragrance for seven days to see if scent could help me focus

Some days, I can sit down to write and hyperfocus on a subject for hours, barely noticing the time. There are other days though when a notification, unfinished household chore or sudden urge to reorganise a cupboard sends my attention elsewhere. I can become so determined to concentrate that I distract myself trying. It’s frustrating when I know exactly what needs doing but can’t seem to just get on with it.

I’ve suspected for some time that I may have ADHD. Forgetfulness, disorganisation and difficulty concentrating are problems for me, although I haven’t received a diagnosis. I’m waiting for an assessment through the NHS Right to Choose pathway, which is proving more drawn out than I’d hoped. Then there’s perimenopause. At 51, brain fog and hormonal changes complicate things further, making it difficult to work out what’s really responsible for my increasingly unreliable memory.

Take yesterday, for example. I left my bank card with the cashier in Tesco and had to return for it. This would be funny, except it’s the second time I’ve done exactly that in a matter of months. Apparently, the first incident wasn’t sufficiently embarrassing enough to teach me not to do it again. So, during ADHD Awareness Month, I decided to try something different and ask if a fragrance can make my study a better place to concentrate?

Seven days, one reed diffuser and an unreliable attention span.

Our sense of smell has close connections with memory and emotion. Certain fragrances immediately remind me of Iran, family gatherings and Persian cooking. Researchers at the University of Oxford have examined how jasmine fragrance affects brain activity associated with attention. Their findings suggest that a complex scent can capture attention, although the study didn’t establish improvements in everyday concentration or investigate ADHD treatment.

Importantly, the research examined jasmine, not AIRY Forest Breath. There’s no scientific basis for claiming that this diffuser improves ADHD symptoms, and I wasn’t expecting it to. Nevertheless, I was curious whether changing my surroundings might help me settle down to work on those days when even opening my laptop seems to invite half a dozen distractions.

AIRY Forest Breath comes in a frosted glass bottle with a silver collar and white reeds. Its Japanese-inspired fragrance combines hinoki, clary sage, geranium, rose and gardenia, with sandalwood and honey underneath. The design is understated, which appeals to me, as my study already has enough books, paperwork and objects that I’m forever promising to put away.

I placed the diffuser on my desk, where I spend hours writing and researching. The fragrance travelled surprisingly well, filling the room without becoming overpowering. I could still detect it when returning after a break, and it remained pleasant throughout the week. I really enjoyed walking into a study that smelled good before I’d even opened my laptop. Whether it helped my concentration was harder to establish.

Here’s where my experiment becomes scientifically questionable. My concentration did seem slightly better during the week, but I’ve also been drinking a daily Red Bull and taking omega-3 supplements. Add fluctuating hormones, sleep, stress and family life into the equation, and identifying the responsible party is difficult. I could hardly credit the diffuser when several other things might have influenced how alert I felt.

Caffeine can temporarily increase alertness, while research into omega-3 and attention remains mixed. My seven-day experiment wasn’t controlled enough to establish whether fragrance contributed anything. What I can say is that I felt more comfortable working in my study, which is a perfectly respectable outcome, even if it won’t have neuroscientists reaching for their notebooks.

H and Cyrus became involved, because very little in our house remains exclusively mine for long. Both liked the fragrance, although neither seemed interested in conducting a rigorous scientific investigation. Cyrus, who’s ten, appeared especially focused while playing Nintendo. Whether this had anything to do with Forest Breath is debatable. I suspect he’d demonstrate similar powers of concentration in a room smelling of yesterday’s socks.

Watching him reminded me that concentration isn’t always about whether we can focus. Sometimes it’s about directing our attention towards something less appealing than a computer game. I can become completely absorbed in writing when a subject interests me, yet struggle with something mundane. Unfortunately, Nintendo doesn’t feature prominently on Cyrus’s homework timetable, so his impressive concentration remains of limited academic value.

Yes, although not because I believe I’ve discovered a secret weapon against distraction. I like the fragrance, the understated bottle and the fact that my study smells nice throughout the working day. The scent remained noticeable without becoming tiresome, and it passed the family test. For a home fragrance, that’s a good result when it has been used every day rather than brought out to impress visitors.

Would I recommend it as an ADHD aid? Absolutely not. Persistent attention difficulties deserve proper assessment and support, not promises attached to a bottle of home fragrance. As a diffuser, though, AIRY Forest Breath performed well during my seven-day trial. My bank card incident also suggests that any improvements in concentration haven’t extended to remembering my belongings at Tesco.

That’s the most useful finding from this experiment, I don’t need every product in my home to improve my productivity or transform my wellbeing. Sometimes I can just enjoy something because it makes a working day a little nicer.

Have you noticed your concentration changing during midlife? And does the environment you work in make any difference?

The Saffron Experiment is my independent, first-person series testing products, wellbeing ideas and everyday rituals beyond their marketing claims.

Product tested:
AIRY Forest Breath, 250ml reed diffuser.

Research:
Grabenhorst et al., NeuroImage (2011).

Editorial note: This personal review is not a controlled study and cannot establish whether fragrance improves concentration or treats ADHD.

Occasional stories, experiments, discoveries and questions from Saffron & Cyrus.