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It's not just the color -

The way colors affect our emotions depends on whether it is warm or not, and on the color’s brightness, shade, tint, or tone.

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Warm colors -

Warm colors like red, yellow, and orange can make us feel excited, happy, and optimistic.

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Bright red -

However, in certain tones, they can make us feel like we need to take action. An example of this is the color red in caution signs.

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Red makes us hungrier -

The color red also gives people more of an appetite.

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Cool colors -

Cool colors like blue, green, and purple make people feel calm and relaxed. But in certain tones, they also can make people feel sad.

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Purple -

Purple is also known to make people feel more creative, hence its cultural significance in rock music.

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Browns -

Browns can make us feel strong and reliable, but in large quantities it makes us sad.

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Bright colors and pastels -

Colors that make us happy are (yes, you guessed it) bright colors like yellow, orange, pink, and red, especially in certain tones. Pastel shades of peach, light pink, and lilac lift people’s moods.

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Green means quality -

We associate green with freshness and also with quality.

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Bright green makes for a good day -

Generally, the lighter and brighter the shade of a color is, the more effective it will be in lifting our mood.

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Muted colors -

Dark colors that are muted will make us feel tired and sad. The quintessential one is gray. Depending on how they’re used, muted blue and green colors have a similar effect.

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Pastels for relaxation -

Pastels like baby blue, lilac, and mint make us feel calm and relaxed. Cream also has a relaxing effect.

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Black and white -

In Western cultures, black is associated with mourning, whereas white is associated with mourning in Eastern cultures.

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Feng shui -

Feng shui comes with its own set of practices and color associations, which are often similar to Western cultures' color associations and sometimes different. As examples, gray is associated with helpfulness and travel, and black is associated with career.

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Chromotherapy -

Several ancient cultures have practiced chromotherapy for healing, including certain Chinese and Egyptian cultures. Chromotherapy is still practiced today.

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Illness and pain -

In chromotherapy, blue is used to soothe illness and as a relieving agent for pain.

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Circulation -

Red is used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation, this in chromotherapy.

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Healing lungs -

In chromotherapy, orange is used to increase energy levels and heal the lungs.

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Skin problems -

Skin problems are treated with certain shades of Indigo in chromotherapy.

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Stimulating the nervous system -

In chromotherapy, yellow is used to stimulate the nervous system and purify the body.

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Modern psychology -

However, modern psychology has found that the actual effects that specific colors have on our mood are temporary. For instance, if you switch on a warm-colored salt lamp, it will only make you feel comfortable for a short time.

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Warm colored placebo pills -

There are some astonishing findings in the school of psychology regarding how color affects our emotions and well being. For example, warm-colored placebo pills were found to be more effective than cool-colored placebo pills.

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Red in sports -

In sports, red causes people to react with more speed and force.

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Black in sports -

Players in black uniforms are more likely to concede penalties in the NFL. Also, people speak more negatively about NFL teams in black.

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Seeing red before an exam -

Seeing the color red can psych people out so much before sitting an exam that they perform worse.

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The cultural significance of color -

We innately understand what colors mean for us and what they mean to people around us. This is why we know that wearing yellow to a funeral is inappropriate because yellow is associated with happiness and excitement.

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Dressing the part -

With this said, people often use colors to make themselves feel a certain way. For instance, wearing white will make you feel revived, youthful, and professional.

Sources: (Verywell Mind) (99designs) (The Spruce) 

See also: Celebrity secrets for a good night's sleep

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