Color Me Happy – Maura Rhodes, LiveHappy

Learn how color can impact our emotionsRemember mood rings popular in the amp821770s for magically changing color to indicate the wearer39s emotions They were more fashion accessory than emotional gaugeamp8212glass orbs filled with liquid crystals that reflected light differently in response to changes in body temperature But even if a shadeshifting bauble isnamp8217t a true indicator of mood color can be a meaningful way to represent and even elicit strong emotionsThe science is not black and whiteIn different cultures ideas vary on what colors mean Much of the science has not yet been conclusive and a lot of information about color and mood is subjective and intuitive In the West orange is believed to make you happy while red increases your appetite thatamp8217s why fastfood restaurants are often decked out in bright oranges reds and yellows Warm colors can make you feel well warm and cozy while cool colors such as blue and lavender seem to have a calming effectamp8220Itamp8217s a burgeoning field of researchamp8221 says Arielle Eckstut coauthor of The Secret Language of Color amp8220In 10 years itamp8217s likely weamp8217ll have more information about how color affects us biologically and it may turn out that orange really does affect moodlifting poweramp8221Meanwhile here are a few things we do know about how color can affect wellbeing1 Red the Lusty ColorResearch shows that men tend to find a woman wearing red to be more sexually desirable than a woman wearing another color Itamp8217s a trait that guys likely share with monkeys Nonhuman male primates are attracted to the red hues that females exhibit on their chests and private parts when theyamp8217re ovulating and ready for romance2 Red Can Also Make Us JealousWhile a man may find a woman in red sexy another woman is likely to perceive her as a threat A recent study found that women perceive other women as both sexually receptive and more likely to cheat if theyamp8217re wearing red The same study found that women were more likely to keep a closer eye on their romantic partners while around a woman wearing red rather than green3 Itamp8217s Actually Pretty Easy Being GreenSpending time outside in nature has been found to be an effective way to relieve stress A recent study suggests that looking at the color green may have something to do with that Scientists had people work out on exercise bikes while watching a video that simulated a rural cycling course the video was either unedited so that the leaves grass and other aspects of the scenery were natural shades of greens and browns and so forth tinted red or achromatic gray The subjects who watched the green scene found the exercise easier and more pleasurable those who watched the red video even had increased feelings of anger afterwardsamp8220This makes senseamp8221 says Arielle Millions of years ago when our brains were still developing quotour environment was primarily blue and green so our brains had to learn to be comfortable surrounded by those colorsamp82214 Tangled Up in BlueConsidering that blue is one of the first colors humans needed to be comfortable with itamp8217s surprising that we use the word amp8220blueamp8221 to describe feeling sad or depressed Itamp8217s even more ironic given that according to studies when photoreceptors in the eye detect blue light they send messages to parts of the brain that control alertness hormones sleep and other functions For this reason blue light is used to treat all sorts of medical conditions including depression dementia and seasonal effective disorderColor Your Life with Your Favorite Huesamp8220Intuitively we know that color affects us in profound ways Everyone can tell you what their favorite color is or that they love so many colors itamp8217s hard for them to choose or that they really canamp8217t stand a certain hue Few folks donamp8217t careamp8221 says Arielle Color preferences arise from a number of sources starting with cultural influences For instance yellow is one of the least popular colors in the Western world while in China itamp8217s profoundly meaningfulIt makes sense for us to think about the hues that give us a good feeling and use them in our wardrobes our homes and our workspaces amp8220Even if you love a very intense color that would overpower a room or an outfit you can get a moodlifting payoff by using it as an accent color that amp8216popsamp8217 amp8221 says Arielle who loves bright red but wouldnamp8217t necessarily dress herself in ruby from head to foot amp8220I have red glasses a red purse and red clogs that I wear with neutral colorsamp8221 she says amp8220Thatamp8217s enough for me to get the feelgood effectamp8221Originally posted on LiveHappycomThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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