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Aromas can enhance perception, comfort, and pleasantness. Aromas can also reduce stress and increase alertness, which is exactly what we need when we're moving.

Our sense of smell is vulnerable to aromas - we can perceive up to 10,000 different odors. According to the Public Library of Science (2007) we have approximately 1000 different genes for the smell-detecting receptors. And women, we're generally more sensitive than men to several smells.

Scientific research conducted over the last twenty years in the United States, Japan, and Europe has shown that a controlled release of aromas will have a positive influence on how we feel. Our olfactory nerve is our sense mechanism that directly connects the outside world to our emotional center.

A study, "Odors summon emotion and influence behavior," conducted at Brown University (2003) with the assistance of sixty-three females, demonstrated that emotions can be conditioned by odors, and aromas can influence behavior.

Certain odors can awaken emotions of frustration causing an unwillingness to work on challenging tasks - not what we want to happen on moving day. And other aromas can arouse positive, desirable emotions - exactly what we need to tolerate the hassles of moving.

A Berkley study, "Male Sweat Boosts Women's Hormone Levels (2007) shows male sweat positively increases our mood - yes sexually as well - but we're moving. Male sweat can cause our mood to switch to a more relaxed and less tense state.

So, having some male friends around who are moving and sweating will increase our desire to perform well - loading and unloading the moving van - hence making the move more tolerable.

No men? No problem: Musky smells have similar affects; so you may want to dab on a little musk or leave a bottle opened up in the moving van.

Many studies have indicated that the presence of odors have positive affects on performance. The News and Events at the Sense of Smell Institute confirms the presence of jasmine leads to greater interest and motivation in a task - just what we need for the move. However, be careful not to use lavender because the affects are opposite.

When you need vigilance and sustainability while moving smell a little muguet or peppermint. A 1999 study by Warm and Dember showed that muguet and peppermint will increase your alertness and concentration.

Peppermint and jasmine both reduce perceived physical and mental workload, and reduce frustration and perceived effort as pointed out in a study by Raudenbush,

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