AES 10: The Effects of Color

Do you feel anxious in a yellow room? Does the color blue make you feel calm and relaxed? Artists and interior designers have long believed that color can dramatically affect moods, feelings, and emotions. "Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions," the artist Pablo Picasso once remarked. 

Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Why is color such a powerful force in our life? What effects can it have on our body and mind? Colors are different in every human’s perspective, some color effects have a universal meaning.

Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced Chromotherapy, or the use of color to heal. Chromotherapy is sometimes referred to as light therapy or colorology.

Colorology is still used till this day as a holistic or alternative treatment. In this treatment:

• Red is used to stimulate the body and mind to increase circulation.
• Yellow is used to stimulate the nerves and purify the body.
• Orange is used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels.
• Blue is believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain.
• Indigo shades are thought to alleviate skin problems.

A 2020 study suggested that chromotherapy may be an effective way to help combat feelings of compassion fatigue and post-traumatic stress in intensive care unit nurses.