Do you ever stop to wonder how the colours around you could affect your mood and wellbeing? Will wearing black all day really make you depressed? Can working in a yellow room make you more energetic? Well, some people believe that colours can have a major impact on our mood and emotional wellbeing.
Colour is incredibly important to the evolution of human beings. For example, the colours of fruit and berries can indicate if something is poisonous or ripe and ready to eat. And society has given colour important meanings – such as red for danger, or green for go. It’s therefore easy to see how some colours could stimulate an emotional reaction in our brains but there are also some theories regarding how certain colours could provoke less obvious reactions and feelings. Here are some examples:
Blue – some experts believe that the colour blue could be an appetite suppressant because humans evolved to avoid blue foods, which could often be poisonous. Blue is also used to lower high blood pressure, calm over-excitement and promote restorative sleep.
Yellow – although yellow is often linked to happiness and optimism, for some people yellow can cause headaches and nausea, as it is a difficult colour for the brain to process.
Orange – in colour therapy, orange is often used to increase energy levels as it is thought to increase blood flow to the brain.
Purple – because purple is rarely found in nature, it is often associated with magic and wizardry as well as with wealth and royalty – as only the rich would have been able to afford fabrics that were dyed purple. Indigo is used to calm anger, lower stress-related high blood pressure and to overcome addictions, while violet helps to calm anxiety.
Brown – with links to nature and earth, brown is a calming and reassuring colour that can provide feelings of comfort and safety.
Red – is the warmest colour and has a stimulating effect to help increase circulation.
Green – is the most relaxing colour and helps to promote freshness, regeneration and spiritual growth.
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