How Color Can Change Your Life

Discover Your Power Color

By Pamela Harding

Are you feeling blue? Seeing red? Looking green around the gills? Try a healthy dose of color therapy. It might be just the prescription you need!

Our ancestors believed that color held magical properties. It could be used to ward off evil spirits, attract good ones, and even heal the sick. While in this age of hard science and cool technology we may view such beliefs with skepticism, our fascination with color has taken on new forms. Biochemists, environmental and industrial psychologists, make-up experts, wardrobe consultants, and, of course, advertising pros have studied color and found how it affects mood, health, image, perception, even heart rate. Certain colors can prompt you to eat faster, perceive objects differently, and even make you spend more money.

Although babies are drawn most strongly to bright colors, and children often prefer solid, vibrant hues, adults tend to choose more subdued tints and shades of color: pink and rose or maroon instead of fire-engine red, for instance, or peach, melon or rust instead of bright orange. To surround yourself with what you feel comfortable is most important. Certain colors can ramp up your mood, but only if they appeal to you. If they don't, they can do the opposite.

Click to learn more about the healing powers of color.

Pamela Harding enjoys writing about food, health, pets, and anything else that contributes to happiness and well-being.

Red

Blood pressure, respiration, and muscle tension all increase on initial exposure to red. But, this jazzy hue also boosts spirits and stimulates creativity, conversation, and the appetite (which is why it is used in many restaurants). Red is also a popular color in casinos—people are more likely to gamble in a red environment than in, say, a blue one. Rooms with a lot of red feel warmer, heavier, and time seems to pass more slowly in them. Red may increase passion, but also aggression, anger, and restlessness—it's probably not the best choice of color for a bedroom. In clothing red conveys energy, power, and leadership, but can also signal romance and sensuality, depending on the garment.

An interesting note: when you have two objects of identical shape and weight, one red and one blue, most people will think the red one is heavier. (Might be one reason to rethink that red wardrobe! On the other hand, red accents could perk up your image.)

Yellow

Vibrant yellow, bright and easily visible, is a great color to wear on dull, dark, or rainy days to add a little sunshine to your life. (It's also a good color to wear after dark if you're walking along busy streets.) The color projects love, light, warmth, and wealth, enhances communication, learning, mood, and energy level.

Generally, yellow combats gloom and fatigue. It opens up or brightens rooms, and pale tones are good choices for classrooms; warm tones good for play areas and living rooms. It's the most visible choice of background color for signs (with black lettering). People who wear yellow are perceived as sunny, intelligent, warm, and compatible. So wear gold (also in jewelry) or yellow when you're asking for a raise.

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