Five ways colour influences you and how to use it to your advantage.
Colour is everywhere.
In our homes, on our clothes, in our food - you can’t escape it, but have you ever wondered why wearing a bright yellow top makes you feel livelier, why the walls of many hospital wards are painted pale green or why a brown soup is less appealing than one that is orange?
The answers lie in colour psychology - a fascinating subject that has a much bigger influence than it may first appear to.
Here are five ways it might affect you and how you can use it to optimise your days.
MOOD - The effect of colour on your mood can be very personal, due to memories, experiences and personal preference. Psychologically speaking, colours on the warm end of the spectrum (red, orange, yellow) are warm and comforting but can also induce anger or hostility. Those on the cooler end of the spectrum (blues, purples, greens) are more calming but can also induce sadness. The key to using colour to stabilise your mood is to use a ‘take what you need’ approach. One day you may feel like you need brightness and energy so harness the power of orange and yellow, where as another you might feel frazzled and need some green or blue to calm your nervous system. Play around with it and observe your own psycho-physiological reactions.
SLEEP - Green is restful, both to the eyes (as it requires little adjustment to focus on) and our primitive mind (as it indicates an abundance of water and food). Use it in areas that you want to feel calm and secure, such as the bedroom for a good night sleep.
Conversely, Yellow is very mentally and emotionally stimulating, so it may be beneficial to avoid this colour in your bedroom or any areas that you want to rest.ENERGY LEVELS - The colour Red is stimulating and can have a physiological effect by raising the pulse rate. You can use it simply as an energy boost in areas that you work or in outfits, but be wary about using too much as it can trigger the “fight or flight” reflex, which can increase the likelihood of stress or insomnia.
APPETITE - Oranges and yellows induce hunger, and red is stimulating. How many fast food restaurants can you think of that use a combination of these colours? If you’ve never noticed before you will now! It is a very clever marketing tool.
If you are struggling with appetite it can be useful to include foods of these colours in your meals. Alternatively, if you struggle with eating too much, try using the colour blue in your crockery or table decor. It isn’t found in abundance in nature - especially in foods - so we don’t have a strong appetite response to it and therefore may eat less.CONCENTRATION - Colour has been shown to affect neurological pathways in the brain, meaning that it can impact concentration, memory and cognition. When concentration tapers off it has been shown to improve after a short period of looking at a largely green scene.
Blues seem to improve productivity in highly cognitive and intellectual tasks, as well as helping to improve reading comprehension in challenging learning situations.
Harness these benefits by using greens and blues in your office, workplace, stationary or work attire.
“Mere colour can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” - Oscar Wilde