STRESS-BUSTING COLOR CONCEPT
How you color your world can calm you
BY:MARY ELIZABETH TERZELLA
If you don’t want to feel anxious or blue, maybe you should decorate in a particular hue. “Research shows you can change your mood by the colors you surround yourself with,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of Colors for Your Every Mood (Capital Books, 1999).
Studies have shown that colors have psychological and physiological effects. For instance, viewing blue has been found to be relaxing, reducing blood pressure, heartbeat and respiration rate. In a recent study of emotional reaction to colors, 80 percent of people responded positively to blue, saying it evoked feelings of calmness.
“People feel serene and tranquil when they view shades of blue,” agrees Eiseman. “Blue is the color of sky and water, which we associate with stress-free activities like a day at the beach.
”Yellow, on the other hand, may chase away a case of the blues. In the color-response study, yellow elicited even more positive responses than blue, perhaps because it was associated with the sun, blooming flowers and summer. “I’ve been studying color for 25 years, and when people are surrounded by sunny shades, they feel cheerful, energized, optimistic and happy,” says Eiseman. “It’s an instant reaction.”
You don’t have to repaint to get a mood makeover from color. “Even colored objects can give you benefits,” she says. For a relaxing effect, hang blue towels in the bathroom or blue curtains in your bedroom. To lift your spirits, toss a yellow throw and pillows on the sofa.