I have become very interested in the effect colors can have on us. I feel that paying attention to the color of our surroundings could impact whether we feel calm or experience stress reactions.
Look around you. Is there a room you feel very calm in? Is there a room that you feel nervous about? It could be the colors. Some colors are very powerful and need to be used in small amounts.
Red is a very emotionally energetic color. It can increase respiration rate and can raise blood pressure. It can intensify your energy and can also stimulate quick decision making. If you have trouble sleeping, you will want to make sure you have no large splashes of red in your bedroom.
Yellow is associated with joy, happiness, intellect and energy. It has a warming and cheerful effect, but too much can be disturbing.
Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. Orange represents enthusiasm, happiness, creativity, determination and encouragement. It is also associated with healthy food. A nice addition to your kitchen is a bowl of oranges on the counter.
Green is your calming color. It is the most restful color for the human eye and symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness and fertility. This is often a nice color for the bedroom or a room you want to relax in.
Blue symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence and truth. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows metabolism and can also have a calming and peaceful effect.
Purple combines the steadfastness of blue and the energy of red. It symbolizes power and wealth. Dark purple can evoke gloom and sad feelings. A violet or light shade may make you drowsy.
White usually has a positive connotation of coolness and cleanliness. It may give some people a feeling of safety. Other people may feel is is too sterile and therefore, not comforting.
Black is a mysterious color but can feel very aggressive. It can denote strength and authority. It can also feel very heavy and contribute to depression if used too much.
These are just some little tidbits to make you think about the effect colors and your surroundings have on your moods and possibly your actions. There is a ton of information out there to tell you more about colors and their power.
If you can make small changes and play with the colors, give it a try. And always make sure you have something in your "favorite color" where you can enjoy it every day.
There are all sorts of ways to reduce your stress!