Color Me Happy
What impact does color have on your mood? I know that, for me, brighter colors are fun and joyful. I feel happier when I wear clothes with pops of color. When I wear all black, I want to fade into the background and generally be left alone. When I want to feel more relaxed, I typically wear softer, solid colors. What about you? Do you put that much consideration into what you throw on in the morning?
Look around your home. What role does color play in your environment? Did you pick the color of your curtains or the paint on your walls to convey a certain mood?
One of my favorite Ted Talks is from Ingrid Fetell Lee - Where Joy Hides and How to Find it. She talks about the aesthetics of joy and how changing our environments with things like color and curves spark joy and makes us feel more youthful. I’ve had the pleasure of sourcing art and installing it in hospitals, nursing homes, and new apartment communities and I’ve seen the transformation of adding colorful art to otherwise bland, sterile spaces. I’m delighted that designers are starting to emphasize color in places that are typically seen as cold and uninviting. Please check out Ingrid’s talk here.
Color has been used for thousands of years for mental health and healing practices - think chakra energies and chromotherapy, which uses color and light to treat mental and physical health conditions. Color and mood became a fashion statement in the 1970s with mood rings. Mood rings actually change based on body temperature and don’t accurately determine mood, but your physical temperature does change when you are relaxed versus anxious.
Color also plays a huge role in marketing and branding. It is thought that certain colors will evoke hunger (red), a sense of security (blue), or enthusiasm (yellow) and companies use color for their logo and packaging to convey a message to the consumer. While not everyone feels happier when they see the color yellow, it still evokes a brighter, more upbeat energy than, say, brown, which feels more grounded and earthy.
I’ve created a printable with basic color psychology to help guide you in finding the colors you should add into your life to evoke the mood you want to feel! Get the free download here.
I’ve also created a free coloring page. Print it out and color yourself HAPPY! I’d love to see the colors you choose to bring more joy into your life!
