Colors can help us, so let’s learn how to use them!

Some colors are relaxing, some are stimulating and energizing, and others can bring happiness, so why  not use colors to make ourselves feel better?

Sometimes we can feel exhausted or stressed because of the thousand daily things to do: work, family, shopping, traveling, traffic, the frenzy that builds up when you have too little time and too much to do; these are just some of the many things that, whether we are conscious of it or not, can debilitate us in one way or another.

Adapting to everyday life can be more complicated than expected. What can we do to help ourselves? Besides a healthy diet and some sport, we could undoubtedly re-establish our regular biorhythms with  the help of colors.

It has been demonstrated that the body increases its capacity when subjected to certain wavelengths and the wavelengths of colors are among them. In fact  colors emit vibrations, which we take in through our sight, that can stimulate the nerves, the molecules and their actions. This means that being in contact with colors not only helps our body but also our mood. Chromotherapy (or color therapy) is a particular type of therapy that exploits the potential of each color to cure specific ailments. We can try to use colors to fight stress, anxiety, panic attacks, fatigue or depression.

How can we use the properties of the colors in our favor? First, we should remember that we are surrounded by colors, life is made up of colors and there are many potential uses:  furnishings, the walls of our home or of the workplace, halogen bulbs, colored lights, diffused light or, more simply, our clothing and the accessories that we wear. But we must also learn what the properties of each color are, so we can choose the most suitable for us or for our current situation.

Let’s analyze them:

• GREEN is a cool color and it is calming. It relaxes the nervous system. This color brings serenity (they say that it is the color of hope) and helps to clarify the thoughts. It may be useful to those who suffer for insomnia or headaches, and more generally, those who are under stress, because it allows us to relax, leading us  to rebalance ourselves.

• YELLOW is a color that helps to purify physically and mentally. As the color that most resembles light, it is a positive color that makes people cheerful and communicative, stimulating positive feelings. It is a good choice for those who feel down or are going through a negative period: wearing  this color could help you find a smile again.

• ORANGE, like yellow brings positivity, helps to release tensions and helps you to be spontaneous. It encourages you to pursue your own choices and see your commitments through.

• RED helps to have self-confidence, giving strength, encouraging and helping us to shake off laziness and apathy. Anyone who suffers from hypertension or anger, for example, should avoid this color because it would increase this emotional state. On the other hand if you have just been sick or you have low blood-pressure problems, red can help to restore the vitality you need to tackle the day.

• BLUE, the opposite of red, is relaxing, good for those who are hypertensive and have difficulty in calming down or in falling asleep. It is a color recommended also for those who are on a diet: it seems indeed that this color helps to moderate the appetite!

• PURPLE is considered a meditation color which helps the mind to think in a relaxed and objective way, to understand and to find solutions without being distracted by its surroundings.

• LIGHT BLUE is a serene color that should however be used sparingly, as too much of its calming effect can also lead to a state of sadness and bring your mood down.

• GRAY is a color tending toward either white or black, depending on its shade. In the first case (light gray) it helps the person to be proactive and to find ideas and solutions, in the second case (dark gray) it may lead to being very analytical, but with a bit of negativity.

• BROWN is another color that leads to reflection, helping to find stability and security, however if it is over-used can lead the person to a closed mind. For this reason it’s better always to use it with other colors.

• WHITE is neutral, it is neither warm nor cool but it is still helpful because in its neutrality, it doesn’t influence you in one direction or another and thereby helps to liberate the mind, to clear your thoughts, freeing you from doubt and uncertainty. It is very useful if you’re trying to rationalize a situation eliminating all external influences. More in general, it’s a color that helps to restore rationality and objectivity and to maintain it.

• BLACK too, like white, is a neutral color. It’s a very particular color because if on the one hand it gives confidence and helps separating  thoughts from emotions, on the other hand it can lead to lack of integration and to detachment from reality. It’s better to use it in addition to other colors, depending on the goal we want to achieve.

• Special colors such as gold and silver are related to perfection (the first), universality and wisdom (the second). Wearing these colors helps to achieve these ideals or shows we wish to achieve them.

Our choice of colors and their effects  can be very subjective anyway, since they also depend on the different perceptions, memories and feelings of every single person and the effects they cause on each of us can vary from person to person. What is certain is that a color’s wavelength displays some general effects: warm colors (which have a long wavelength) are usually cheerful and energizing and are therefore suitable for those who feel a little down, but, on the other hand are not advised for hyper people who should rather choose cool colors (with a short wavelength). These cool colors are calming  and relaxing, but are therefore not recommended to shy and introverted people and to those who feel sad, depressed or debilitated, all of whom would benefit from the uplifting qualities of the warmer colors.