Colors: What Do They Mean & How To Use Them

The world is not black and white, neither is it grey.
It is made of colours, multitudes of them.
Every object we see, every emotion we feel has a colour to it.
Think for a moment, when you are angry what colour comes to your mind? When you are happy, what colour comes to your mind? When you are sad, what colour comes to your mind?

The reason why I am asking these questions is to make you realise colours are inter-related to every aspect of our lives. How you feel about someone or something or a certain day is all influenced by the colours you see. We remain largely unaware of this fact and hence having a bit of knowledge regarding it can prove to be beneficial. Colour psychology is a relatively new field of science, but through extensive research, it has been found that there is indeed a generalised pattern of how different colours affect one’s mindset differently. So let us first see the colour wheel. What I want you to do is look at every colour and makes a note of what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

We all know the basics, red, yellow, orange are the warm colours. Green, blue and purple are the cool colours. The reason is obvious. How so? Let’s dive into it a bit deeper and understand what colour to choose when while dressing up to create the desired impression.

Red.
The first image that comes to the mind is mostly strawberry, right? That is because red is the colour of passion and love. Ladies, you want to make a stellar impression on your first date? Wear red. You’ll see your date’s heart rate increase slightly more as a result of the colour actually!
Now imagine, your food is served on a red plate. You are likely to eat more as the colour red is known to stimulate your appetite as well. So remember, red is a good stimulator.

Yellow.
Thinking of a big, bright sunflower, aren’t you? Laughter, joy and hope are what this colour invigorates in one’s mind. Try to surround yourself with objects of this colour to revive your mood when feeling a little down.

Orange.
This is the colour of enthusiasm. Losing out on motivation while working out? Wear orange. It will not only keep you stimulated but research has shown it facilitates more oxygen flow to the brain as well.

Blue.
This is the colour of stability. Why? Because it is a cool colour and has a calming effect. Hence it is a good idea to wear a blue shirt on your first date. It is scientifically proven, that women perceive, men dressed in blue on first dates, as someone who is reliable and stable. Chances of the date going better are high. That is the subtle power colours have on our minds, not only does it influence our perceptions but can also change the course of events.

Green.

Green, too, is a cool colour, calms the mind and increases productivity. It also acts as a mood-lifter.  So you could also try to re-do your workspace and make it a little green to enhance affectivity.

Brown suggests security and strength. These earthy colours are warm, but a lot lesser than the reds and yellows.

Black happens to be the favourite colour of many people. While indeed it is a fetching colour, you must know the kind of effect it has on you. It does give a sense of authority; just think of a judge’s robe. However, it also has one more meaning.  Research suggests it turns your mind into the aggressive mode. In a statistics taken from more than 52,000 Hockey League games, it was found that teams wearing black were penalized more for aggression, whereas when they wore white later they were penalized lesser.

White has a soothing effect. It gives a feeling that it can accommodate everything and signifies innocence and purity too. Paired with any colour, white gives a pristine overall look.
Gray is dull. A midway colour, it ceases to add life and gives a passive impression. However, if paired with a bright colour, it would create a striking picture.

Colours have a lot of influence and the power to create a perception. However, they do not have the magical power to turn things around completely. It is up to you to bring about the absolute change you want and of course, you can use the colours to guide you and help you out!