The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
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Taking Time to Live Well

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Photography: Kirstie Young

Photography: Kirstie Young

Science | why lavender calms

Iona Bower July 20, 2019

We all know that our lavenders blue (dilly dilly) make us feel a bit sleepy, but why?

The scent of lavender has long been used to make us feel relaxed or sleepy. And apparently, it’s not only the association with vast fields in Provence, swaying in a purple haze. Nope. Lavender’s benefits have proper scientific roots. 

It’s all to do with linalool, a fragrant alcohol found in lavender extract. Researchers at Kagoshima University in 2018 found that mice exposed to the smell showed fewer signs of anxiety. 

Linalool interacts with the neurotransmitter (or chemical messenger), GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), to quieten the brain and nervous system, which makes the whole body feel more relaxed. 

However, while the effects of lavender on the brain were accepted, until recently, it was not known what the ‘sites of action’ (where it got in) were of linalool.

The Kagoshima experiment found that mice who had no sense of smell did not experience the same anti-anxiety effects when sniffing lavender as mice that could smell, thus proving that the effect of linalool is on the olfactory neurons in the nose, rather than on the bloodstream via the lungs, as previously thought. 

So, once the smell hits the olfactory neurons, messages are sent via long ‘wires’ to neurons in a part at the front of the brain called the ‘olfactory bulb’, which also stores memories and emotion. From here, GABA gets involved and when GABA attaches to a protein in your brain known as a GABA receptor, it produces a calming effect. Messages are sent to various parts of the nervous system, relaxing the entire body. 

If you’ve not found all that information terribly relaxing, you might want to just pop a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow. Or why not pick up a copy of our July ‘Embrace’ issue, which has a feature by Lia Leendertz on recipes that use foraged lavender. We particularly like the lavender and blueberry buns. One of them is enough to relax us right into a nice nap of an afternoon.

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More from our July issue…

Featured
Back cover Michelle Rial from Am I Overthinking this Chronicle Books.jpg
Jul 23, 2019
July | a final thought
Jul 23, 2019
Jul 23, 2019
Lavender Lia Leendertz and Kirstie Young.jpg
Jul 20, 2019
Science | why lavender calms
Jul 20, 2019
Jul 20, 2019
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Jul 18, 2019
Reader offer | The Simple Things Holiday
Jul 18, 2019
Jul 18, 2019

More lovely lavender…

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Tipple | Lavender & Raspberry Cocktails
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Make | A Soothing Lavender Eye Pillow
Jul 22, 2023
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Jul 11, 2020
Recipe | Greengages on toast with lavender and fennel flowers
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Jul 11, 2020
InThink Tagsissue 85, july, lavender, science
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Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

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See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

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Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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