Color plays a vital role in our day-to-day lives. It can be a form of nonverbal communication — for example, red equals “stop,” and purple represents “royal” or “regal.” Colors can make you feel calm, sleepy, happy, energetic and alive. They can even be used in strong branding campaigns to sway consumers. Color is powerful and profound. And the best part? You can use and manipulate color to your advantage.
The Psychology of Color
It’s no secret that color affects emotions, moods and behaviors. There’s even a term for it: color psychology. Numerous studies can attest to its power. Marketing students research it intensely to learn how color can sell more gadgets and services. Virtually everywhere you go, from your bank to your favorite restaurant, you’re bombarded with color psychology. Your interior designer even uses it.
At the root of color psychology is the belief that colors conjure up certain emotions and behaviors. You only have to think about your favorite brand logos to see the power of color in action. Coca Cola, for example, uses the color red to represent excitement. Lowe’s and Walmart use blue to evoke feelings of trust.
How Color Influences Your Mood
Marketers and designers spend a lot of time selecting the perfect colors for advertisements, businesses and public spaces. They know color evokes certain emotions, and they want to enhance the emotions that will make you stay longer, come back more often and spend more money. But how does it work exactly?
Color influences your mood in profound ways. Some scholars think that preferences for and emotional reactions to some colors are innate, which means your brain is hard-wired to react in certain ways to color. This would explain why so many people have similar experiences with it. Blue, for example, is the most highly favored color.
Surround Yourself With These Colors for Happiness
Use a variety of color in your home decor to boost your mood and promote positive emotions. All tones and hues of each color family will work depending on your needs, so feel free to play around with shades and intensity of the colors you choose. Positive, calm and happy feelings are associated with these colors:
- Red evokes feelings of excitement. It’s also linked with passion and love.
- Yellow is the color of sunshine, energy, warmth, optimism and clarity.
- Orange may make you more enthusiastic and cheerful.
- Blue is associated with subdued, calm energy, which makes it great for sleep, relaxation and stress reduction.
How you use color around your home can have a powerful impact on your mood and psyche. Want better sleep? Paint your bedroom a soothing blue color. Want to feel more energized in the morning? Liven up your breakfast nook with the color of sunshine. Whatever you wish to accomplish, it’s all possible through color.
