Coloring Your Way to Good Mental Health
October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Since mental health is becoming an important part of our overall health, we need to make it a regular part of our lives. Stress kills you slowly. That’s a fact. Even though we may not feel it now, it will hurt our health as we get older. So, after a long day at work, it’s nice to think about coming home to a place where we can relax and forget about our worries.
That would have been easier before the pandemic when we were still going to our offices, where stress levels can be very high, but at the end of the day, we’ll leave work behind and relax when the clock strikes five. Most people now work from home, which makes it hard to separate work from personal time. So how do we keep ourselves from getting mental fatigue given the current work situation that we are forced into?
Cleaning up and making small changes to the way our homes look can help a lot. Knowing how colors affect our moods will help us a lot with this task. If you don’t know where to start, here are some ideas for what colors to put in your home office to help you stay focused and energized or in your relaxation room to help you calm down and get a good night’s sleep.
Red
Red is the color of strength, aggression, and passion. It’s a good color for your workspace if you want to set the mood and bring your best self to work. But red is a warm color, so red accents can quickly heat up a room. Red is also linked to anger and control. Too much red in your home can make you feel anxious or uneasy, so use it sparingly if you want to calm yourself down.
Orange
The color orange is very lively. It is often linked to sports and competition because of this. Usually, it is used in offices and sports centers. It is another warm color, but unlike red, it can make a room feel cozy and snug. However, orange is not a good color to use if you want to create a calm space, but if you incorporate it well into your interior design, it can liven up the space.
Yellow
Yellow is a good choice if you want your room to feel positive. It is the only warm color that makes people feel calm. It evokes a feeling of happiness and creativity. Yellow is often used in kitchens, kids’ rooms, and private areas of the home because it is also thought of as a nurturing color. Less intense yellows work well with neutral colors to create a relaxing effect. Yellow can also work in sunny rooms because it makes the sun’s effects stronger.
Green
Green is a color that calms and soothes. It’s linked to balance, harmony, and the natural world. It’s also the color of new life and growth. The color green is often used in offices to make people feel calmer. When greenery is used in a home, it can make it feel peaceful and calm. Just a dash of green may have a striking effect. Saturated greens can quickly take over a room, making it look dreary or dark. Bright greens, like apple greens, make a room look happy, but if you use them too often, they can be overwhelming. On the other hand, grayish greens, sage tones, or khakis are often seen as neutral colors that help make a space feel calm.
Blue
This color makes you feel peaceful and calm. It is a safe, neat color that works well in business settings. It is commonly used in medical offices and financial institutions. Intense blues can make you think of oceans and water, and they look great with bright whites. Blue is also linked to sadness (feeling blue), so it might not be a good color to keep you from getting depressed. Lastly, research shows that blue is one of the colors that makes food look the least appealing. This could be why blue isn’t used as much in kitchens and restaurants.
Purple
This is a rich color that makes you think of luxury, wealth, and being special. It is a ceremonial color that is used in many religions to signify the divine. It is also a color that people associate with being very unique, creative, and even quirky. Purple isn’t often used in homes, which makes it a striking choice. People think of pale purple or lavender as soft, feminine, and comforting. Purples like eggplant, which are very saturated, are strong. Too much dark purple can make you feel sad. Studies show that too much purple makes some people feel angry and cocky, no matter what shade is used.
Gray
When used right, gray accents in home design can bring balance and neutrality. But a lot of grays are actually shades of blue, green, yellow, or even purple, so it’s important to pay attention to the tonality of any gray. In color psychology, gray is linked to feelings of sadness, loss, and being unmotivated. The color gray can make a room feel cold and unwelcoming.
Brown
Brown is a color that can be seen a lot in nature. Studies show that when brown is used in a home, it makes people feel strong and reliable. When you use brown in a room, it makes you feel dependable, safe, and secure. Brown is a common color in many rooms because it is used for wood furniture and cabinets. Using brown on the walls, floors, or furniture in a room with a lot of brown wood can make the room feel heavy, unimaginative, or dull. Using browns, greens, whites, and neutrals together is a good way to make a calm, happy space.
Black
People often think that black is the absence of color, but it is actually the combination of all colors because it absorbs all light in the color spectrum. Color psychology shows that black makes people think of many different things. It is often associated with death, sadness, and the unknown. But it’s also the color of sophistication, seriousness, intellectualism, and sexuality. Since black isn’t a happy color, it’s usually used as an accent. When used in small amounts, black elements can make a room feel calm and balanced. If you use black a lot, it can also make a place look strong, dramatic, or important.
White
White is a neutral color that is found in most homes. White is the most common color for walls and ceilings. White reflects light, which makes a room feel brighter, bigger, and more open. It also makes you think of cleanliness, innocence, and purity. Too much white, on the other hand, can feel boring or cold. White is a color that not many people say is their favorite, but it is easy to work with when decorating. White goes with everything, whether it’s dark or light, bright or saturated.
These meanings are based on general research, but our personal associations with colors will always be more relevant. For example, if your mom always wears purple, you might feel comforted by the color instead of feeling like you’re wearing something expensive and fancy.
Think about how you feel in the room you’re in now. If it doesn’t make you feel calm, you might want to change how it looks. If painting the walls is too big of a job, start by getting rid of clutter and moving the furniture around. Making room for more space gives you a clearer mind and a healthier mental state. Make sure to let in as much natural light as possible, because a bright room will always make you feel better.
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Source of color meanings: http://heritagedesigninteriors.com/how-interior-design-affects-your-mental-health/
