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I have a friend who always has candles burning when I visit. It gives her place a warm and cosy feel and I’m often surprised by little flickers of light from votives dotted throughout her house. Not to mention the beautiful subtle fragrances they add.

I love candles, but I’m not a candle person — I never think to light them, and on the odd occasion that I do I worry I’ll forget them and burn the house down. But I’ve been lucky to be given quite a few delicious candles and I don’t want them to just gather dust — what a waste!

If, like me, you’re not sure what to do with all those candles you have, here are three suggestions. What I particularly like about these ideas is that each one has an end point, so you can blow out the candle when you’re done and not worry about forgetting it.

1. Use candles as a meditation aid

I am TERRIBLE at meditation. I love the idea of it but I just can’t focus enough to quiet my mind. I’ve tried a few different aids with varying success but one that always works is lighting a candle and staring at the flame. After just a little while I let my vision blur and my mind seems to go all fuzzy and quiet along with it. Not unlike staring into a campfire, the flame seems to do happy things to my soul.

2. Use candles as a signal

This is a tip I’ve come across quite a lot in writers’ groups — when you sit down to work, light a candle. This acts kind of like a Pavlovian signal to your brain that if the candle’s burning it’s focus time. Use a candle in conjunction with a timer and when time’s up, blow it out.  If you like scented candles you can also choose fragrances that are energising (for me that’s light, citrusy scents).

3. Use candles at the dinner table

This one’s an oldie but we’ve kind of forgotten to have beautiful dinners by candlelight. Instead of daggy old candlesticks though, think a row of votives along the table or a vignette of different-sized candles in the middle of the table. I particularly loved doing this at summer barbecues, when the sun was fading. Instead of turning on over-bright outdoor lights, grab a few candles to give the right amount of light to chat by. And once everyone heads home (or moves inside) you can blow out the candles.

Do you use candles? Let me know your favourite scent in the comments!