Colors can evoke certain emotions and represent various meanings. For some people, these effects are obvious, while others may be experiencing the effects of color without realizing it. Since color is all around us, it impacts us whether we want it to or not, so we might as well embrace what it can do for us.
Even minor changes to the hues around you can significantly impact your well-being. Let’s look at how you can use the emotions associated with specific colors to improve your life.
1. Add Blue to Your Bedroom
Blue is known for its relaxing properties, so it can calm anxious feelings and promote better sleep. Any time you want to feel more relaxed, surround yourself with blue and discover its positive impact. Exposing yourself to blue is especially beneficial in rooms where you frequently sleep and rest, such as the bedroom.
If it’s time to repaint your room, consider a soothing dark blue for the walls. A soft green may have a similar effect. Since walls take up most of the room, their color has a big impact on how you feel in that space. If you don’t want to commit to a huge change in your room, consider adding some blue decorations instead, such as blue wall hangings or a blue bedspread.
2. Let Red Improve Your Alertness
Red is a bright, bold color that you can’t miss. So, seeing it can make you more alert, which is perfect if you have a hard time finding energy in the morning. By exposing yourself to red during your morning routine, such as using a red alarm clock or pouring your cereal into a red bowl, you may feel more alive when you first roll out of bed.
Yet, this method isn’t just for early mornings. Anytime you need a little more energy in your life, consider turning to red. If you need to be alert for an important meeting, keep your notes in a red notebook. If you want to have energy longer at the gym, focus on red equipment. Bits of red can give you enough alertness to get through the day in a positive way. However, too much red can be overstimulating and lead to feelings of frustration, which is why you rarely see red decorations in large amounts.
3. Put Green Plants in Various Places
Green is a tranquil color that promotes health and safety. Therefore, it’s a good color to have around you at all times. An easy way to do that is to add plants to various rooms throughout your home. Having bright green plants around could soothe anxiety. If you aren’t interested in maintaining live plants, fake plants can do the trick too.
The spaces you spend the most time in, such as your living room or office, can benefit most from green. Places outside of your home that could cause stress, such as hospitals and classrooms, could also use some relaxing hues. So, if there isn’t already green in those spaces, bring green items or accessories with you to help you feel more at ease in those areas.
4. Add Dashes of Yellow Into Your Daily Life
Yellow is known as a happy color, making it good to have in all aspects of life. Getting a glimpse of yellow when you’re feeling down could help lift your spirits. Yet, yellow is a bright color that can be overwhelming in large amounts. So, the best way to use it to improve your life is to have small hints of it here and there. Consider adding some yellow paintings to your walls or wearing yellow nail polish. That way, you’ll have something uplifting to look at throughout the day.
For some people, the optimism of yellow can also spark productivity and creativity. Yellow has so much life and energy that it’s hard not to be alert and excited around it. So, you should especially focus on it in spaces where you need to be as productive as possible, such as areas where you work and study.
5. Incorporate Orange Into Creative Spaces
Orange isn’t used as frequently as the other colors of the rainbow because it’s extremely bold and bright, causing it to be overwhelming in many situations. Yet, being less common could actually work to its advantage. Being exposed to the color orange could boost creativity and inspiration. If you’re someone who loves to draw, paint, write, or complete any other creative tasks, having bits of orange around could help you come up with new ideas.
Wherever you let your creative juices flow, such as an art studio or office, you should add some orange to your decorations. Even just a bit of orange in your wall hangings could help the creative process. If your creative space is outside your own home, bring something orange with you, such as a bag or water bottle, so you can look at it when you need some inspiration.
6. Find Pink Items to Help You Express Yourself
Some people are hesitant to use pink because stereotypes label it as a “girly” color. Yet, pink actually has benefits for all genders, so avoiding it will do more harm than good. The color pink often feels nurturing, making it helpful for getting your emotions out. If you’re someone who struggles to be honest about how you feel, having something pink near you could help you more confidently share your thoughts.
Wearing pink clothes could help you and those around you feel more in touch with your emotions. Having a vase with pink flowers could also be a subtle way to help people express their feelings. Even in small amounts, pink can make a huge impact on lots of people. If you’re about to have a serious conversation with someone, do it while pink is present so you can effectively convey your emotions and overcome past trauma.
7. Meditate Near Purple
Many people are drawn to the color purple without knowing why. It’s likely because purple has lots of uplifting effects that can make people feel enlightened, inspired, and encouraged. These are feelings that everyone can benefit from in their daily lives, making purple the perfect color to relax or meditate near.
When you need space to clear your head, surround yourself with as much purple as possible. If you don’t have a space like that, consider adding some purple to the room you relax in most. Even if you don’t meditate, having purple nearby can help with other relaxing activities, such as napping, journaling, doing yoga, or putting a puzzle together. Afterward, you should feel more wisdom, compassion, and creativity than you would have without purple.
8. Wear Black to Feel More Sophisticated
The color black is so bold and dark at the same time, which may turn people away from it. Yet, like with all colors, black can improve your life when used correctly. It’s a color that signifies power, elegance, and sophistication. When you wear it, it can help you feel those things, giving you a boost of confidence. When you want to be taken more seriously, add some black to your outfit.
Using it in design can also help spaces feel more serious and powerful. However, it should only be used sparingly. Painting the walls of a room black is usually too much, but adding black as an accent color can bring a space together, making anyone who looks at it feel more mature and confident.
9. Don’t Overlook Brown Furniture
Brown is a color that’s all around us. There’s lots of brown in nature, and it’s commonly used as a neutral color in design. Since it’s so common, people tend to overlook it and its effects. It may not grab our attention the way the above colors do, but having some brown furniture and decorations in your home can help you feel more grounded and relaxed.
The color brown is great to have around when life gets overwhelming. It can help you feel grounded and in control. In some cases, it could encourage you to be more honest and reliable. When a person is exposed to the color brown, they’re more likely to lead with their best foot forward.
10. Remember to Include White in Designs
Like brown, white is a color we tend to overlook because it’s common in our lives. White is typically used to fill a space when no other colors make sense in that spot. That might make it seem boring, but that’s not true. White is necessary for designs because it allows the other colors to stand out and balances their emotional effects.
Having white around can prevent people from feeling overwhelmed. It gives your eyes somewhere to rest in a design, allowing you to clear your mind for a moment before you return to focusing on other things. Adding a pinch of white in all designs provides clarity and focus to every situation, so it’s more than just a filler color.
