Did you know that color only exists in our brain? In the real world we have light, and light consists of different wavelengths of energy. And when light comes through our eyes it sends signals to our brain that interprets them as color.
So that bright red apple that makes you want to eat it, isn’t really red at all.
Also did you know that color has a major impact on our psyche? Some of the biggest industries and businesses out there use color as a tool to induce a certain state of mind and behaviors in order to have an edge.
For example, yellow makes people happy and more approachable, while red creates a state of excitement and stimulates the appetite. That’s the reason why McDonald’s paints its interiors in bright yellow and red.
Colors used at the office or in a work environment can stimulate productivity, creativity, collaboration and employee happiness .
The effect of colors on human behavior
Have you ever been in a place that makes you feel irritated? Or a place that makes you feel relaxed and calm? If that’s the case then it might be because of the colors that you see in those areas. There is no doubt that all these colors have a psychological effect on people and it is determined by our biological conditioning and cultural imprinting.
The effect of cool colors
It is important to point out the fact that cool colors such as purple, blue, green, have a soothing and calming effect. People tend to associate these colors with peacefulness but it can also express sadness.
If you’re on the artistic side try and use the color purple as it is known to improve creativity. For a relaxing effect, green or blue is the way to go as it is proven to lower blood pressure and produces a calming effect that could be useful in a workplace that is highly circulated, or in the bedroom so it could help you relax.
The effect of warm colors
On the warmer side of things we have colors like orange, yellow and red that emanate happiness, optimism and energy. Also these colors catch your eye and stand out which makes you more aware and alert. They could also cause eye strain if not balanced properly.
A good use for the color yellow and orange is for appetite stimulation, so they are often used in areas where food is served. Yellow is also considered a strong psychological color because it is known to provide a boost in job performance that’s crucial in business.
Colors that indicate sadness
The sad colors are usually the dark and mute colors. Black and grey are considered to be dark colors but brown, dark blue and green are known to have similar effects depending on how they are used. Black is usually associated with mourning in some cultures and grey has the effect of timeless.
Colors that make you happy
The happy colors are warm and bright, yellow, pink, red but also a combination of primary and secondary colors have a similar effect. The brighter the colors the more of a happiness effect it will have on you. Also pastel colors such as peach and light pink is known to have an uplifting effect on your mood.
Good color choices for calming and relaxing
At some point in our lives we all had to deal with stress in a way or another and stress management is an important aspect that could make the difference between success and failure. There is scientific proof that color choices help with stress management and could have a calming and relaxing effect upon our body.
For example, blue is a color that has a soothing effect and could be the ideal choice, if you want to calm your mind. A peaceful, calm and gentle color that lowers the blood pressure and slows down your heart rate.
Green makes us think about nature, so it is a very comforting and quiet color that could diffuse anxiety and creates a very calm and refreshing atmosphere.
Violet is also a good choice in this instance because it signifies wisdom, strength and peace. It creates balance, helps with meditation and has a positive impact upon your body’s growth.
Extra dose of energy throw colors
There is nothing worse than starting your day all grumpy and lacking the strength or the motivation to get out of your bed. Feeling completely depleted and numb is common amongst us, but using the right combination of colors, can help in that instance to give you that most needed burst of energy and enthusiasm to start your day properly.
Yellow is an energetic color that makes you feel lively. It’s a color associated with happiness and positivity. If you want to start your day with optimism and get that burst of energy, try to add yellow elements around the room.
The brighter side of the color red has an energy boosting effect as well and it could be a good choice when you are dealing with demanding tasks and you feel depleted of energy.
Orange has a similar impact as red only it’s more subtle. It’s a playful color and it creates excitement, it could also create haste and acts as a social tool that makes people uninhibited and extroverts.
Best color for office walls
It’s important to consider colors in the work environment to maximize your productivity and put you in the right mindset for success. Here are a few common colors used in the office and their impact upon us.
Red – is well known for having a heart pumping and pulse raising effect, this color is also known for triggering the “fight or flight” instinct.
This color helps through stressful situations and people who deal with a certain amount of stress at work. But this color is also eye straining and could hinder your efforts.
It would be more recommended to be used in physically demanding jobs.
Yellow – sets the right mood for great work, this color is a confidence booster and emanates energy and positivity.
It is considered the strongest psychological color and it’s the ideal color for entrepreneurs and innovators in order to get creative and be optimistic.
Green – is a balanced color that generates a state of calm and it could be a great in order to deal with overwhelming tasks.
For a calm working environment green is the perfect choice.
Blue – This color has a soothe ability, best color for concentration and supports clear communication and wakefulness.
It is a preferred color for office work and comes in hand when dealing with intellectual demanding tasks.
It is also important to consider the intensity, brightness and saturation of a color in order to have the desired effect in the work environment. So go for warm tones and choose bright colors.
Also make smart color choices based on people’s personalities, because everyone is different and deals in a different way with situations that we encounter in our daily lives.
What is the best color for studying
Recent studies show that it is possible to increase alertness and neural activity using colors as a tool in order to help you get through those exams at school, finish a project, or just learn something new in general. The most suitable colors for this are red, orange and yellow.
- Red is a bold color that draws attention. It is easily noticeable and used all around us for warning purposes such as stop signs, emergency buttons, fire extinguishers.
- Orange generates physical comfort and security, it makes you feel passionate and that’s a plus when you’re studying something new and interesting. Also it might suggest the idea of food and warmth which are both associated with a calm and relaxed atmosphere.
- Yellow has a lot to do with emotional strength, it boosts confidence and creativity which are all very useful when your study area revolves around the artistic side of things or courses that require innovative minds in order to come up with new ideas.
A combination of these three colors is proven to be the best choice in order to improve your study efforts. Also we could mention some of the other colors that could also have a positive impact upon your learning experience:
- Green is a color that suggests harmony, balance and refreshment. It also has a reassuring effect and it is associated with environmental awareness. It induces a general state of peace and rest.
- Blue stimulates efficiency and it creates a sense of duty. It helps with communication and creates a sense of trust. Oftenly associated with intelligence and logic it is great for technical disciplines that require a lot of problem solving capabilities and critical thinking.
Does color affect your memory?
It is also important to note that colors play an important role in enhancing our attention level and it could potentially help our memory storing capacities.
Late studies show that colors affect attention and it could be used in order to arouse awareness and highlight important aspects in a presentation, a product, or a place. It has been proven that warm colors such as yellow, red , orange draw attention a lot better than cool types of colors such as brown and grey.
Using colors to help memory is also worth considering since it has been proven that people identify differences in color a lot faster than other variables that might change, like shape, size, texture etc.
Real estate colors that sell
Colors could also have a great impact if you’re trying to sell a house and it could sometimes be the decisive factor that could end the deal. Also using the right colors could raise the price at which you sell the house and could make it more popular amongst home buyers. It is also worth noting that style and location of a home matters as well, so take that into consideration when choosing a color for your house.
Here are some popular colors that you can use to help buyers feel at home during an open house:
- If your house is situated by the shores or if it is located behind a scenic landscape a good choice is a light blue and deep aqua colors that contrast really well with the view and enhances the architectural design of the house.
- Neutrals are usually the most preferred colors amongst home buyers. Houses with gray, beige, dark blue or even charcoal are great choices in order to raise the price.
- Choices of colors that blend in really well with the natural surroundings are also preferred amongst home buyers. In this cause the color choice might vary and good choices are warm taupe, putty and gray hues.
- Lighthouse red feels very traditional and fresh and it stands out in any environment, whether it is in a clean landscape or in some green area filled with natural elements.
- A very warm and clean color choice is wheat, which is a buttery like color that matches really well with tones of dark brown and grey-blues.
The psychological effects of color are deeply studied and have a great impact upon the decisions we make and the mood where in. When carefully considering the color choices that you make it could give you a considerable advantage in terms of sales but it can also improve our performance and send a message to people that come in contact with a well thought through color scheme.
