Color has the power to shape how you think and feel, even if you do not realize it. For instance, when the word “STOP” is written in big block letters of red, it grabs your attention, and you do come to a halt. On the other hand, whites and blues can make you feel relaxed. From the color red’s call to attention and energy to the pastels’ relaxing effect, the psychology of color has an impact on your mind, body, and life in general.
While the psychology of color is often discussed in the context of design, marketing, and education, today, we shall explore how you can use the psychology of color for something more personal and closer to home – to decorate your home for mental clarity.
What Is Color Psychology?
Color psychology is a new and interesting field in psychology that seeks to analyze how colors impact our emotions and behaviors. While most of the evidence we have thus far is anecdotal at best, experts have made inroads into how the psychology of color affects our minds, moods, and behaviors.
Within color psychology, psychologists are interested in understanding the meaning of colors as well as their impacts on cognition, emotion, and behavior. The implications of this field are vast and varied, from mental health to overall well-being.
How Colors Affect Mental Clarity and Mood?
Colors have meaning – they convey information that impacts your mood and the decisions you make. Broadly speaking, whites and blues convey relaxation and peace, pinks and purples indicate love and pleasure, and yellows, oranges, and reds convey joy, energy, and passion.
Now that we get the gist of it, we will look into it in more detail as to how colors can affect your mental clarity and mood. We cannot yet definitively point to one single color that clears the clutter in your mind and improves clarity or mood, it is a combination of factors that leads to it:
Cognition – When we speak about thinking and memory, green is associated with positive thoughts and memories, while red is commonly associated with negative recall.
Emotions – Similarly, even when it comes to emotions, green is associated with positive emotions, whereas red is associated with feelings of urgency and danger. While whites and pinks are also said to involve positive emotions, more research is needed in this regard.
Creativity – Colors like red, white, blue, green, and surprisingly, even gray are linked with creativity.
Energy – Once again, green is associated with more energy. Hence, being surrounded by green can be good for your physical and mental health.
So, when you are surrounded by colors linked with positive thoughts and emotions, they help enhance your mental clarity and mood. On the other hand, avoiding or reducing colors that have negative connotations can keep negativity at bay.
Tips for Incorporating Color Mindfully
We know that colors can impact your mind and body to the point that it uplift your mood and even heal. They can affect different areas of your life – from your daily functioning to your relationships to your life. So, what is the best way to incorporate colors into your life? It is by incorporating them into your living space or your home mindfully.
Here are five tips that will give you an idea of how you can decorate your home with the power of colors:
Tap into the refreshment of green – green is the color of renewal and growth. It has been associated with positive thoughts, emotions, and energy. When you use different shades of green to decorate your home, it can usher in a sense of health and harmony. You can alternatively use light and dark shades of green for just that touch of creativity.
The blues – do they get you down? No, despite the fact that blues is associated with feeling down, in reality, it lowers your heartbeat and produces a relaxing effect. However, you need to use it wisely. Too much of it can make it feel cold, but when you use light and deeper blues judiciously, they can make your house feel both open and snug.
Don’t forget the whites. White needs to be paired with warmer colors to make your home feel welcoming.
Use earthy tones like muted yellows or oranges and browns to indicate a sense of safety. It is perfect for the more personal nooks and corners in your house – for instance, your reading room.
Now comes the fun bit – the vibrant colors to give your house the boost it needs. If you use vibrant colors all over, it can feel a bit too overpowering. So, think of the softer colors as the background of your home, whereas the vibrant colors are what make it stand out. By stand out, we mean you can use colorful furniture or art pieces to inject a child-like, joyous atmosphere.
The Link Between Minimalism, Color, and Mental Space
Less is more; this is the age of minimalism. Some adopt minimalism in their fashion choices, whereas others do it in their lifestyle. However, you can also use minimalistic decor with color and design to create the right mental space for you within your home. The focus here is on open spaces, neutral colors, natural lighting, and basically putting quality above quantity and removing as many non-functional elements from your home as possible. For better real-life examples, you will have to look at Japanese architecture in the 20th century.
This psychology of minimalism has gathered traction of late, and here’s how it can benefit you:
When you practice minimalism, it clears your mental clutter. What is around you can dictate how you feel, so when you clear the clutter in your environment and focus on uncluttered environments to bring in a sense of order, it also lowers stress and heightens focus.
When you eliminate the distractions around you, it enhances your focus. It allows you to focus on what matters – the here and now, which is the basic principle of mindfulness.
An open, airy atmosphere with a greater emphasis on natural lighting boosts your mood and well-being. It promotes a sense of serenity and creates an atmosphere within which you can relax and rejuvenate.
When everything around you creates a sense of clarity and openness, it automatically allows your mind to explore new ideas. This is why creative people often prefer minimalist spaces to let their creative juices flow.
Final Reflections
Color psychology has always been around you, even if you were not aware of it. However, now that you have more information at hand, you can use this knowledge to create a home that reduces negativity, boosts your mood, and uplifts your well-being.
Of course, it all depends on what you are looking for – whether you want your home to scream energy or peace or a bit of both, colors can become integral to it. Play around with colors, and see what best defines you and the house you want to call your home.
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