Colors can have an impact on our mood and well-being, so they can have healing properties in some instances. Certain colors could help you relax or bring you joy.
Throughout history, people have used colors for healing in various cultures and environments. For example, chromotherapy (color therapy) is a practice for helping people heal mentally and physically. So, when and how can colors be used to heal your body and mind?
When Should You Use Healing Colors?
Healing colors can have an impact in any room where people are ill, such as hospitals or a room at home where they rest. That’s why in hospital rooms, you may notice colorful paintings on the walls to help cheer up a patient in an otherwise dreary environment. Using bright colors in a hospital waiting room can help patients feel less anxious or claustrophobic.
However, healing colors need to be selected carefully. For example, if you’re looking to boost a patient’s mood, you can use warm colors like red, orange, and yellow. On the other hand, if you need someone to relax, you can surround them with cool colors like blue, green, and purple. If a room is dedicated to meditating or reflecting, cool colors are a great choice for that as well.
Healing colors are especially effective for children’s hospitals since kids get more overwhelmed when they’re sick than most adults do. Bright colors can help improve a stressed child’s mood and make them feel at ease. However, the opposite is true for elderly people. Older people and anyone with vision problems will likely feel more comfortable with dull, simple colors because they won’t have to strain their eyes to look at the decorations. Bright lighting is more important than bright colors in those situations.
Chromotherapy typically uses only colors to cure diseases, but it’s not scientifically proven. So, instead of relying on that type of healing alone, most people will use beneficial colors in addition to other treatments.
What Are the Best Healing Colors?
Any colors can have healing properties for the right people and in the right settings. That’s because not everyone associates color with the same meanings, so different people may benefit from being exposed to different colors. Below are what advantages each color could have.
1. Green
Green is a natural healing color because it’s frequently present in the world around us. It’s a sign of growth and renewal, so it’s a calming color that’s perfect for meditation and self-reflection. Being surrounded by green can help someone feel relaxed and receive calming thoughts. It can help balance the mind and make someone feel at one with nature. Green can especially be healing for the heart, lungs, and circulatory system.
2. Blue
Blue is a color that can calm the mind, body, and spirit. People who are exposed to blue often feel more relaxed, which can help relieve pain. Blue can lower blood pressure and reduce rapid heart rates. It’s a great color for the mind because it can control strong emotions and headaches. It’s also good at enhancing the five senses, especially smell, sight, and sound. It’s a great color for improving sleep, especially for restless children or anyone suffering from insomnia. Blue is such a great healing color because it’s also the most popular color in the world.
3. White
Since white is a combination of all colors of light, it can have the healing benefits of all other colors. White is a simple color that can symbolize purity and truth. It can prompt reflection and boost productivity, both of which can help heal the mind. During a physical healing process, being exposed to white can help improve the recovery time of many ailments. White may also help bring resolution to conflicts to improve the mental health of everyone involved.
4. Purple
Purple is a healing color for many people because it can make you feel enlightened and self-aware. It’s an elegant color that can make people feel relaxed, helping patients feel de-stressed and get better sleep. Many people use the color purple when meditating because it can help people feel more intuitive about their health. It’s a good color for improving a person’s immune system and nervous system. It may also have anti-inflammatory properties.
5. Yellow
Yellow is a bright, cheery color that can boost someone’s mood. It has healing elements because it encourages positive thoughts and energizes the muscles. It causes radiance, relaxation, and warmth, so looking at it can help relieve depression and make patients more optimistic and confident about their healing process. Yellow can help people focus, giving them mental clarity. It can help heal digestive issues and promote long-lasting energy. Overall, having positive thoughts can help people heal in many ways, which is why yellow is so impactful.
6. Red
Red is a stimulating color, so it can help patients by improving their vitality and energy levels. Exposing someone to red can be beneficial if they’re dealing with exhaustion, paralysis, or any other condition that causes low energy and mobility issues. Red increases adrenaline, and it can increase blood flow and blood pressure. So, it should be avoided for anyone suffering from high blood pressure. People suffering from constipation have seen success when surrounded by the color red.
7. Orange
Orange is a high-energy color that’s especially positive for children. It can encourage creativity and enthusiasm. It can help the body experience a boost in energy, and it can help patients feel eager to accomplish goals. The color orange is especially beneficial for the immune system, along with the lungs, liver, and spleen. Plus, the food orange is a great source of Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that can help boost a person’s health if eaten regularly.
8. Pink
Pink is a great healing color because it has nurturing properties and encourages emotional healing. It can encourage feelings of compassion, love, and emotional stability. This color can make people feel calm and soothed when exposed to it. It’s a high-energy, passionate color that shares many of red’s benefits without being as intense. So, it’s a joyful, stimulating color that won’t harm patients with high blood pressure. Having pink present can reduce erratic behavior and promote kindness instead.
9. Indigo
Indigo has the positive effects of both purple and blue. It can help broaden someone’s perspectives and improve intuition. People who are surrounded by indigo may be more understanding about serious situations, making them less stressed over health struggles. They may feel more peaceful as well. Indigo can specifically help with headaches, migraines, and sinus issues.
10. Teal
Since teal is a mixture of green and blue, it’s another one of the best colors for making someone feel calm. It helps clear your mind of negative thoughts and promotes good sleep. It can give people clarity and boost their immunity as a result. Thus, it’s a good color for improving red blood cell regeneration and reducing the risk of infections.
11. Cream
Cream is a pure, simple color like white, but it’s not as overwhelmingly bright, making it easier to look at. It’s a great color for controlling intense emotions and providing a relaxing space. Using cream in a room can make someone feel warm and comfortable.
12. Black
Black is an intense color, but when used in the right setting, it can help people. This color can remove negative energy from someone’s life because it absorbs all other colors. Thus, having black in a room can remove stressful energy. Black can reduce anxiety and help people focus on their emotions. It may also help some people deal with grief.
13. Brown
Brown is a color that frequently appears in nature. It symbolizes stability, reliability, and comfort. This color can help reduce physical and emotional strain, which could make a person physically stronger and less stressed as a result. Being surrounded by brown could help someone feel a stronger connection to the earth. It’s a welcoming and familiar color.
14. Lavender
Lavender is a gentle tint of purple that can improve someone’s vitality and make them feel youthful. The color is associated with cleanliness, relaxation, and purity. It’s a great color to be near if your want to meditate or reflect. Plus, the plant lavender has healing properties, such as improving sleep and reducing pain.
15. Magenta
Magenta is a pleasant, relaxing color that shares benefits of pink and red. It promotes kindness and cooperation. When exposed to magenta, people may be more cooperative and have more self-respect. Magenta tends to make people feel optimistic as well.
16. Lime
Lime is a version of green with more energy. So, it can help people be more active while also feeling safe and secure. Being near lime green may improve someone’s immunity. Plus, the food lime is healthy too because it’s rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants.
Colors Have a Crucial Impact
If you or someone you know isn’t in the healthiest state, you can use colors to help them heal faster. Consider whether they need to relax or gain energy to decide if warm or cool colors would be more beneficial. Also, consider using that person’s favorite colors to help them feel more uplifted.
Meditating or practicing breathing exercises in the room with healing colors can help someone’s mind and body feel at ease, which could make them feel better faster. However, color therapy should be used in addition to a doctor’s suggested treatment, not in the place of. Healing colors can have lots of benefits, but for severe conditions, they won’t be effective without scientifically-proven remedies.