How Different Colors Affect Emotions

Color and Emotion

I just love color – but who doesn’t?  Vivid, vibrant shades that dance in the sunlight or sultry, deep and dark hues that invite mystery and excitement!  The world is dull when color fades, when the deep winter leaves everything bare and almost sad looking. Then the Spring arrives and once again, color starts to literally “spring up" everywhere.  It’s no wonder that people feel happier and lighter when the days start to lengthen, the trees start to blossom, and pretty flowers begin to bud.

So, it’s no surprise too that emotion links to color.  Different shades evoke different feelings.  As an example, the ancient art of Feng Shui doesn’t just rely on how to design space, it also involves using color to create mood and atmosphere.  Bearing all of the above in mind, here’s a brief guide I’ve pulled together of different colors, their “meaning” and the emotions they’re associated with.

Red

It will come as no surprise to you that red is the most attention-grabbing color!  It’s associated with love and passion – but also danger and excitement!  Next time you go to a bar or a club, you’ll likely notice lots of red lighting, perhaps even red décor.  It is not a calming, relaxing color but if you’re feeling a bit drained of energy, look at something red and hopefully, it will motivate you to get up and get moving.  I certainly feel more driven when I’m wearing red – it’s like my “Take me seriously” shade.

Orange

Similar to red, orange is also an energetic color. It’s what I see as an enthusiastic, fun color.  Its a “happy” color that always makes me smile.  It’s interesting that creatives use orange in lots of their workspaces because of its positive energy and power to fuel good-vibes.

Yellow

When you think of yellow, it’s more than likely that you’ll imagine a hot, bright sun with beams shining down and making everything sharper, more vibrant. It’s in flowers, in nature, in that sunlight as mentioned, in grains of sand…it reminds me of summer and feeling good.  Positive and cheerful, it is an easy choice if you want to add a splash of character to your outfit.

Pink

Hot pink or pastel pink color - it’s feminine, soft, girlie, delicate but the hotter shades are also sexy too.  Pink is also associated with love but it’s not as passionate as red, it’s a calmer, more solid love, perhaps between friends as well as between lovers.  I also see pink as having a naivety about it, it’s gentle and soothing.  I often wear pink when I want to feel delicate and girly. 

Green

This color is known to be calming but did you know that in Feng Shui, green is associated with money too? There are lots of other things associated with green; health, growth and fertility are some. I find green very relaxing, especially as it reminds me of trees, plants and the leaves on flowers. Green is very much the color of life.

Blue

When I think of blue, I picture the sea and summer days when blue skies are so vivid, you could stare into them for hours.  Blue is often perceived as a masculine color but for me, it’s a color for everyone and because there are so many shades of blue, it can be calming and serene as well as invigorating when it’s really bright.

I just love wearing a monochromatic outfit, like all blue or all red; I feel it really carries the emotion associated with colors forward :) What is your favorite color?