Did you know your surroundings may be effecting your emotions and state of mind? Do you ever notice that certain places really annoy you? Or that some places are especially calming and relaxing? Well, there is a good chance that the colors in those places are playing a part.
The psychology of color is based on the emotional and mental effects colors have on sighted people in all aspects of life. There are some very subjective pieces to color psychology along with some more accepted and proven elements. Keep in mind, that there will also be differences in understanding, meaning, and perception between different cultures.
In art therapy, color is usually connected with a person’s emotions. Color may also effect a person’s physical or mental state. For example, studies have shown that some people looking at the color red resulted in an increased heart rate, which then led to more adrenaline being pumped into the blood stream. You can learn more about how color treatment works and how color and light might affect us.
There are also commonly noted psychological effects of color as it relates to two main types: cool and warm. Cool colors like blue, green and purple often spark feelings of calmness along with sadness. Warm colors like yellow, red and orange can spark a variety of emotions ranging from warmth and comfort to hostility and anger.
Color Psychology as Therapy
Some ancient cultures, including the Chinese and Egyptians, practiced chromo-therapy, or the use of colors to heal. Chromo-therapy is often referred to as color-ology or light therapy and is still used today as an alternative or holistic treatment.
In this treatment:
- Yellow was thought to purify the body and stimulate the nerves.
- Red was used to stimulate the mind and body and to increase circulation.
- Blue was believed to treat pain and soothe illnesses.
- Orange was used to increase energy levels and to heal the lungs.
- Indigo shades were thought to alleviate skin problems.
The concepts of color psychology can also be applied in daily life. For example, maybe you are planning on re-painting your walls or renovating a room or house with a new color scheme. Well, you might want to consider some of these suggestions about colors and how they might affect your mood and emotions:
What Colors Your World?
Our vibrant world is filled with colors, and they might move you more than you can realize. They can change your behavior and your mood, maybe even your diet and who you find good-looking. Before you get dressed, renovate, or serve your next meal, it might be good to keep that in mind.
Fibromyalgia
Purple is the official color for fibromyalgia as it often used to soothe or calm a viewer. Also blues and greens on an otherwise neutral pallet offer the most refreshing and low stress ambiance to a place. Lighter shades of these work better in lifting our spirits and leave us with more mental clarity. While some individuals favor bright and bold colors, these may not be the best choice. Many people with fibromyalgia are sensitive to visual stimuli so a bold color has an energy draining effect rather than inspirational.
It’s also helpful to avoid a lot of patterns or contrasts in styles. These things can be kept on a small scale as accent pieces, but are overwhelming to many fibro sufferers. Aim for solid colors, and focus on different textures if you desire more variety, not patterns. A brown shag rug contributes visual interest to a room without being distracting and showy.
There is some tentative evidence emerging in the literature showing that green is relaxing because it is associated with growth and nature.
Your Memory
Colors can affect what you remember. If there is lots of red around you then more likely you are to recall negative words. The color Green, on the other hand, be likely to make you hold on to positive ones. That might help you have a happier opinion of your life and a better state of mind.
Your Strength
Blue is related with strength, trustworthiness and dependability. Hence, the blue power suit because it projects that image of trustworthiness and dependability.
Your Emotions
The color green appears to make negative emotions weaker and positive emotions stronger. Pink and white can have similar effects, but researchers are still studying those. In the meantime, the color red appears to have the opposite effect and cause negative emotions like those related to danger and failure and more intense.
Your Relationships
We all want our close ones to be happy, and painting the walls of your home green, pink, or white can help you tune into those feelings. Such colors can then be easier for you to pick up on the happy facial expressions of other people. However, in the interest of full disclosure, they can also make it quite hard enough to distinguish sad ones.
Your Creativity
The color green can help get the artistic juices flowing. Researchers related it with gray, white, blue, and red, and green helped people do better with both picture-based and word-based activities. So if you are looking for a new color for the walls of your office, consider green. Or move your desk out to the golf course. Purple is also used to help spark creativity as it is a mixture of blue (calm) and red (intense)
When You See Red
Being the longest wavelength, red is a dominant color. Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and thus it grabs our attention first. Hence its effectiveness in traffic lights the world over. Its effect is physical; it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is. It relates to the masculine principle and can trigger the “fight or flight” instinct. Red is strong, and very basic. Pure red is the simplest color, with no subtlety. It is lively and stimulating, very friendly. At the same time, it can be perceived as aggressive and demanding.
Picky Eaters
Children appear to eat more if the food is of different colors. One way to try to get your kid to eat more vegetables and fruits might be to come up with some intense color mixtures. As a bonus, different colors usually mean a greater variety of nutrients, and that is good for growing bodies.
Your Energy Level
You may be less tired and happier after you work out around the green color. It creates sense then that people who exercise outdoor, where there is more green, feel even better. And having more “green place” where you live, be likely to increase your mental health.
Migraine Relief
If you have migraine, you might realize that you just want to avoid light. Different wavelengths, or colors, of light amber, blue and red, all seem to make migraines even worse. All apart from green, that is, which in fact seems to help.
Resources:
Slideshow: colors affect via Web Md
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