Colour has a profound effect on our emotions and mood. Certain colours can lift our spirits, while others can have a calming effect. Utilising colour intentionally in our surroundings can be a simple yet powerful way to enhance our emotional wellbeing. In this article, we will explore how different colours impact our emotions and how we can leverage colour for emotional healing.
The Psychology of Colour
Our reactions and attachments to different colours are deeply personal and tied to our life experiences, cultures, and associations. But there are also some common psychological and physiological effects of colour that have been studied.
Warm colours like red, orange, and yellow are stimulating and can boost excitement, enthusiasm, and energy. Cool colours like blue, green, and violet have calming and relaxing qualities. Neutral colours like white, grey and black create balance and openness. Bright colours tend to be uplifting, while muted and pastel shades are soothing.
Colour also impacts our brains and bodies in measurable ways. Exposure to different colours has been shown to influence heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, skin conductivity, and brain wave patterns. The right use of colour can help activate, energise, or calm our bodies and minds.
Using Colour for Healing
Here are some of the key ways we can harness the power of colour for emotional healing:
Red
Red is an intensely vibrant hue that boosts energy, strength, and excitement. It captures attention and stimulates the release of adrenaline. Use red when you need a bold, passionate boost of confidence, courage or motivation. Red can help overcome lethargy, depression or weakness. However, limit use of red if you are prone to anxiety or anger issues, as it may heighten those emotions.
Orange
Orange combines the vitality of red with the joyful warmth of yellow. It lifts the spirits and boosts optimism, creativity, enthusiasm and determination. Surround yourself with orange when you need to counteract feelings of negativity, pessimism or lack of motivation. It can overcome inertia and inspire productive energy. But avoid overusing orange if you tend toward anxiety or mania.
Yellow
Yellow emanates warmth, joy and happiness. It stimulates mental clarity, optimism and interest in one’s surroundings. Use yellow to brighten gloomy moods, spark creative flow and awaken a sense of hope and positivity. Yellow is uplifting for depression, loneliness or isolation. But it may increase nervous energy in anxious individuals, so use it cautiously if that is a concern.
Green
Green is the most restful colour for our eyes and has a stabilising, calming effect. It relieves stress, promotes relaxation and helps renew energy. Surround yourself with green to instill peaceful feelings, reduce anxiety, balance emotions and restore harmony. Green also supports focus and concentration. It can help overcome feelings of burnout, irritability, or low motivation.
Blue
Blue has a tranquil, soothing effect. It curbs appetite, decreases heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Blue inspires creativity and clarity of thought. Use soft blues to instill calm, relaxation and patience. Darker shades can evoke deeper feelings of stability, trust and confidence. Blue is ideal for overcoming anxiety, panic, grief, insomnia or high stress. But avoid blue if you are feeling sad or depressed, as it may deepen those feelings.
Violet
Violet represents spiritual awakening, wisdom, inspiration and inner peace. It supports psychological and emotional healing. Surround yourself with violet to tap into your deepest wisdom, overcome fears or trauma, and foster spiritual connection and intuition. Violet can help process painful emotions and memories. But avoid violet if you feel disconnected from reality or prone to fantasy.
Pink
Pink conveys nurturing, affection and hope. It has a gentle, comforting effect that relieves feelings of anger, aggression or resentment. Use soft pinks to cultivate self-love, emotional intimacy, vulnerability and warmth. Pink helps dissolve emotional defensiveness and opens the heart to healing, friendship and deeper bonds of love.
White
White creates openness, clarity and flow. It supports mental focus and stimulates organization. Use white around you to evoke feelings of purity, simplicity, and efficiency. White can help clear emotional clutter, anxiety or overwhelm. It encourages you to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. But avoid stark white if you are feeling depressed or isolated. Soften white with creams, greys or pastels.
Black
Black evokes power, sophistication and mystery. It enhances focus and concentration. Use black in small doses when you want to minimise visual input and outside distractions. Black can help create an introspective space for deep thinking,strategising or releasing emotional intensity. But avoid surrounding yourself with too much black, as it can be oppressive or depressing if overused.
Using Colour in Your Environment
Here are some simple ways to start harnessing colour for emotional healing in your surroundings:
Clothing
Wear colours that evoke the desired mood. Put on a red shirt when you need motivation or green when you want calm. Avoid hues that may exacerbate emotional struggles, like orange if you are anxious.
Decor
Add accent pieces, wall art, throws, curtains or pillows in therapeutic colours. Paint walls in appropriate shades. Display colourful photos, flowers, or artwork.
Lighting
Use coloured bulbs or lampshades. Try light therapy boxes or lamps with colour filters. Programme colour-changing smart lights to shift hues throughout the day.
Textiles
Choose bedding, rugs, towels and table linens in colours that foster your emotional goals. Refresh these pieces seasonally to renew their impact.
Nature
Spend time outdoors appreciating colourful flowers, trees, bodies of water and landscapes. Grow plants with coloured leaves or blooms.
Food & Drink
Incorporate more colourful fruits, vegetables, and beverages into meals and snacks. Display food attractively on coloured dishes or napkins.
Technology
Set the wallpaper and settings on phones, laptops and tablets to healing colours. Tint screens amber or red to support sleep.
Scent
Use essential oils, candles or diffusers with calming or uplifting aromas. Scent can enhance colour’s impact.
Colour & Chakra Healing
Chakras are energy centres in the body tied to physical and emotional health. Colour healing through the chakras utilizes the frequencies of different colours to rebalance energy and clear blockages. Here is a brief overview of associated colours:
Root Chakra – Base of spine – Red
Sacral Chakra – Lower abdomen – Orange
Solar Plexus – Upper abdomen – Yellow
Heart Chakra – Centre of chest – Green or Pink
Throat Chakra – Throat – Blue
Third Eye – Forehead – Indigo
Crown Chakra – Top of head – Violet
Exposing chakras to their corresponding colours through visualization, meditation, coloured light, stones, clothing and more can restore balance. But carefully research chakra healing before attempting it.
General Tips for Using Colour
Here are some key tips for using colour effectively and safely for emotional healing:
– Intentionally select colours that evoke desired states of mind. Avoid hues triggering negative emotions.
– Use soft, muted shades for relaxation and deeper tones for empowerment.
– Limit bright, intense colours if you are sensitive or anxious. Pastels and neutrals are gentle.
– Avoid visual clutter. Allow each colour to have impact by surrounding it with space.
– Notice how you feel after introducing more colour. Adjust hues and amounts based on your reactions.
– Colour impacts everyone differently based on associations and temperament. Stay attuned to your unique responses.
– Use colour in moderation. Too much can feel overwhelming or overstimulating.
– Change colours seasonally to renew their effect. Variety prevents emotional stagnation.
– Combine colours carefully. Adjacent shades can clash or become visually jarring.
– Consider the light in a space. Colours may appear different in natural vs. artificial light.
Conclusion
Colour is a simple yet powerful healing tool we have at our fingertips. Purposefully incorporating therapeutic colours into our wardrobes, homes, workplaces and routines can subtly shift our moods, mindsets and emotional patterns over time. Relax in the calm of green or blue, invigorate yourself with energising red and yellow, or create an introspective space with violet and black – the possibilities are endless with the rainbow of choices before you. Pay attention to your intuitive and emotional responses to colour, and you will discover a new world of healing potential awaiting you. Allow colour to enhance your life emotionally, creatively and spiritually.