Feel like you're in a food coma after a week of Thanksgiving leftovers? Get a whiff of this.

The scent of peppermint is like a drill sergeant, telling your brain to "Wake up and focus!" New research shows that you pay better attention to dull-but-must-do jobs when this scent is around. So the next time you're mentally sluggish, grab a candy cane, chew a stick of peppermint gum, or inhale the scent of mint-infused oil, and then listen to your brain say, "Can do!"

Science has confirmed it: When there's a hint of mint wafting through the room, workers perform better on jobs that demand accuracy. In a study, participants made fewer typing mistakes and alphabetized things faster when under the influence of peppermint's aroma compared to tasks performed in a scent-free zone.