How Colors Can Boost Your Mood

Have you ever wondered why a clear blue sky puts you in a good mood? Or how the off white walls of your office seem to put you to sleep? Studies show that colors have a profound affect on our emotions.

Marketing companies and advertisement campaigns have long used color schemes to sway our mood in one direction or another. Cereal companies that market toward children elicit excitement about their product by using bright reds, vibrant yellows, and glowing greens. On the other hand, many jewelers will use deep crimsons, dark purples, and black to create a stately and distinguished atmosphere surrounding their product.

So how can you harness color to aid in your personal mood boosting? Which colors lend themselves to relaxation and which others to energy? Here, a list of colors and the emotions they invoke and how you can use the power of color to influence your life.

Neutral Colors

What they are: Think of these as the shades that you wouldn't necessarily find in your crayon box. Neutral colors consist of off-whites, beiges, black, and grays.

What they do: Though some might consider them boring, these shades also create an air of tranquility. Many spas and doctors' offices use these colors to inspire calm in their clientele.

Make them work for you: If serenity is what you're looking for, then you can create an oasis at home with this toned-down color palette. Although neutral colors are often used as a bridge for brighter shades, in the right combinations, they can create a space in your home that's fit for an escape from the daily demands of life.

Warm Colors

What they are: These colors do just what their name implies—create feelings of warmth and comfort. Dark reds, burnt oranges, golds, and lighter shades of brown are all examples of warm colors.

What they do: They are known to liven up a space, inspire conversation, all while remaining in the background. These darker shades of otherwise lively colors are said to invoke deep emotions such as passion, contentment, and affection.

Make them work for you: Often, colors that inspire warmth are used in a bedroom, living room, or office to create a homey or cozy feeling. You can bring that feeling to the workplace by substituting your white coffee mug with a color reminiscent of an autumn sunset or by replacing your black picture frame with a frame in a hue suggestive of a glass of red wine. You'd be surprised how far a touch of warmth can resonate.

Earth Tones

What they are: Any color that feels like it comes from nature—including dark browns, forest green, khaki, and olive—falls under the category of earth tone.

What they do: These colors can make a person feel grounded and in touch with their surroundings. Earthy shades tend to balance and inspire personal growth.

Make them work for you: Bathrooms usually feel sterile—not unlike a dentist's office. Instead, picture this: a warm, cascading shower with a natural, rejuvenating paint scheme surrounding you. This could be one way to utilize earth tones to turn an ordinary experience into something else completely.

Cool Colors

What they are: Imagine how you'd feel if you were surrounded by an ocean of turquoise, vibrant blues, and sage green.

What they do: Unless you were part of the cast of Lost, you would probably feel calm, languid, and refreshed. Cool colors often evoke quiet moods—as if you were removed from reality.

Make them work for you: Calmness is not an emotion often associated with working forty hours a week, being a parent, or both. In order to keep your cool in the most stressful of situations, try to utilize these soothing shades. It may mean hanging a work of art in your office at work or creating a space at home where you are encircled by these fresh colors. Try it-it's one of the easiest ways to de-stress.