Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health issues, affecting over 40 million adults in the United States each year. While there are many ways to manage anxiety, such as therapy and medication, using color psychology can also be an effective supplemental treatment.
Color psychology is based on the idea that certain colors can evoke emotional responses. Studies have shown that colors can impact mood, feelings of calmness or anxiety, productivity, and more. Understanding how different hues make us feel can allow people with anxiety to surround themselves with colors that promote relaxation over panic and worry.
How Color Impacts Mood and Anxiety Levels
Research has found a clear link between color and mood/anxiety levels. While reactions are somewhat subjective, certain colors tend to elicit common responses:
Cool Colors: Shades like blue, purple, and green are considered cool colors. They are calming and can lower anxiety. Blue causes the body to release calming hormones. Green reduces frustration.
Warm Colors: Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow are energizing. They can increase anxiety, especially shades like bright red. However, warm yellows and oranges can provide feelings of happiness and confidence.
Neutrals: Whites, blacks, browns, tans, and grays are neutral. They can be calming as they do not overstimulate. But some studies show individuals with anxiety prefer bold colors to neutrals.
In general, incorporating more cool and natural colors and limiting use of bold warm hues can help create an environment that alleviates anxiety.
Specific Colors and Their Anxiety-Calming Effects
While the color palette is broad, several specific shades have been shown to be especially helpful for calming anxiety:
Blue: Blue is associated with peace, calm, and relaxation. Different shades can have different impacts, with darker blues being the most calming. Light blue can be uplifting. Blue helps the mind relax, which is key to easing anxiety.
Green: Green represents nature and harmony. It can aid with physical and mental relaxation and reduce feelings of stress, worry, and anxiety. Green also helps restore energy. Dark green is ideal for promoting calmness.
Violet: Violet can help lower heart rate and blood pressure, promoting relaxation. Violet can also boost creativity and personal reflection, helping direct excessive anxiety inward. It may bring on feelings of spirituality.
Pink: Pink is strongly associated with love, kindness, and compassion. It has a gentle, calming effect on the mind and body. Using different shades of pink can support healing from anxiety.
Yellow: Bright, bold yellows stimulate the mind. However, soft yellows, like daffodil or lemon, lift mood and create feelings of optimism. They can enhance clarity and confidence when experiencing anxiety.
Neutral Tones: Grays, beiges, browns, and tans are relaxing as they do not overstimulate senses. They can help anxious minds find balance and steadiness.
How to Use Color to Calm Anxiety
There are many tactics for incorporating anxiety-reducing colors. Which hues someone chooses and how they utilize them depends on personal preference. But tactics can include:
Home décor: Paint walls blue or green, utilize violet and pink accents, add neutral pillows/blankets. Focus on color themes in spaces where relaxation happens. Use colors to create a soothing environment.
Clothing: Dress in blues, greens, pinks, or yellows. Avoid energetic reds and oranges. Accessorize with neutral grays, tans. Use color to align mood.
Nature: Spend time outside appreciating cool blue skies, trees with green leaves, colorful flower beds with pinks and violets. Let natural colors boost mood.
Food: Incorporate naturally vibrant foods into meals, like salads with greens, berries, yellow peppers, purple onions. Eat colorfully to encourage calmness.
Lighting: Use soft white or yellow lights to create warm glows. Install dimmers to control brightness. Limit fluorescent lighting which can feel cold and harsh.
Technology: Change wallpaper/themes on devices to cool nature photos or soft pink/yellow. Download apps with relaxing color schemes. Limit stimulus from screens.
Vision boards: Create a collage of inspiring images in shades of green, blue, violet, and pink. Refer to it when needing calm.
Affirmations: Write uplifting messages using various colors like blue, purple, or green. Place them where they are visible as reminders to stay relaxed.
Meditation: Close eyes and visualize being surrounded by anxiety-reducing colors while practicing deep breathing. Use mindful color imagery for centering.
Art: Paint, draw, or color in images using anxiety-calming shades. The creative process itself can lower anxiety while enjoying the colors furthers relaxation.
Aromatherapy: Use essential oils and candles with calming scents like lavender and chamomile. Pair them with pink, purple or blue containers/diffusers. Engage multiple senses.
Crystals: Place gems and stones like amethyst, pink quartz, and turquoise around home or in jewelry. Connect their energies and colors with relaxation.
The goal is to surround yourself with as much visual exposure to anxiety-reducing colors as possible. This constant reinforcement can have powerful impacts on mood, attitudes, and emotions.
Which Colors Should You Avoid When Anxious?
While incorporating helpful colors is important, limiting exposure to colors shown to increase anxiety is also a key strategy:
Bright Red: Bright, bold shades of red can increase respiration and raise blood pressure. Red’s stimulating effect can heighten anxious feelings and trigger panic attacks.
Black: While black is a neutral, its association with negative concepts like death and evil can bring on anxious thoughts. Black clothing may exacerbate worry and tension.
Orange: Vibrant, energetic orange can overly stimulate the mind. It can cause feelings of impulsivity and frustration. Orange should be avoided when already feeling high anxiety.
Bright Yellow: While soft yellows create optimism, bright yellows stimulate and activate the mind which may increase anxious overthinking. They can make concentration difficult.
Dark Browns: Darker shades of brown often represent rot and decay. Exposure to these earthy browns could amplify anxious thoughts and worries.
In general, avoid colors that negatively stimulate the mind and body when experiencing anxiety or panic. Limit use of bold, intense shades in favor of more subtle versions of reds, oranges, and yellows.
Tips for Using Color Psychology Strategically
To leverage color for anxiety relief most effectively, consider these tips:
– Take time to identify your personal color preferences and which shades elicit happiness vs stress. Reactions are somewhat subjective so personalized selection is best.
– Use soft, muted versions of colors rather than highly saturated hues which can feel overwhelming. Pastels and lighter tones work well for relaxation.
– Employ color in high-use spaces where you spend a lot of time, like bedrooms and home offices. Surround yourself with calming colors.
– Limit bold accent colors that draw the eye intensely. Sparing use is best for elements like throw pillows and art so they do not become overstimulating.
– Adjust lighting and brightness to control color intensity. Well-lit rooms amplify color effects. Dim lighting softens hues.
– Combine colors with other anxiety aids like scents, textures, music and meditation practices for enhanced impact and relaxation benefits.
– Be patient and consistent as your reactions to colors take time and repetition to change. Anxiety relief using color requires commitment.
– Note how different spaces and activities make you feel and adjust the colors in those environments accordingly to reduce anxiety. Customize color use to needs.
– Seek balance and moderation in color choices. Avoid monochromatic schemes or all bold tones. Variety helps maintain optimal stimulation.
Studies on Color and Anxiety
Extensive studies support the concept of using colors to ease anxiety. Some noteworthy examples include:
Blue Rooms Calm Heart Rate: A study had participants sit in rooms painted either red, yellow or blue. Those in blue rooms had lowest heart rates, showing colors impact physiology.
Blue Boosts Happiness Chemicals: Viewing different shades of blue was found to increase production of happiness neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin which can reduce anxiety.
Green Spaces Lower Anxiety: Spending time outdoors surrounded by green trees, plants and nature is consistently tied to lower anxiety levels and improved moods.
Pink Reduces Aggressive Thoughts: Pink environments were shown to decrease anger, hostile feelings and emotional distress which are linked to anxiety. Pink promotes gentler mindsets.
Purple Lowers Stress Hormones: Just 15 minutes of exposure to purple light was found to meaningfully decrease production of the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
Yellow Aids Anxiety Recovery: Patients with anxiety disorders reported yellow rooms assisted with their healing process. Soft yellows were most helpful.
Neutrals Improve Doctor Visits: Exam rooms painted neutral colors were found to lower patient anxiety levels before medical appointments compared to bold tone rooms.
Research overall validates color psychology. Leveraging shades known to reduce anxiety can be a simple but powerful supplemental treatment. More studies continue to demonstrate the benefits.
Potential Challenges of Using Color for Anxiety
Despite the many upsides of color psychology, some potential challenges include:
– Difficulty determining specific colors that elicit positive vs negative reactions
– A need for trial and error to find ideal colors and applications customized to individual needs
– Inability to control use and exposure to color in environments outside the home
– Strong color preferences that conflict with recommended anxiety-reducing shades
– Minimal impact on anxiety in severe cases or when used alone without other treatments
– Overreliance on color instead of addressing psychological roots of anxiety through counseling
– Unrealistic expectations that recommended colors can fully eliminate anxiety which may lead to disappointment
– Expense if completely redecorating home or purchasing new wardrobe to incorporate helpful colors
While not necessarily drawbacks, these factors demonstrate utilizing color is not a quick fix. It requires diligence and patience. But as part of a larger anxiety treatment plan, calibrating surroundings with purposeful use of color can assist with managing anxious feelings for many individuals.
Color Associations and Symbolism
It is helpful to understand why colors elicit certain psychological and physiological effects through examination of symbolic associations:
Blue = Trust, Wisdom, Stability
The constant nature of blue skies and bodies of water provide feelings of comfort and security. Blue’s association with depth creates a perspective of wisdom.
Green = Growth, Renewal, Abundance
The natural color of grass and plants signifies living vitality. It embodies the endless cycle of growth each Spring.
Violet = Mysticism, Spirituality, Imagination
The rich hue of violet on robes denoted wealth, wisdom and status. Its rarity in nature adds an air of originality.
Pink = Love, Gentleness, Femininity
From flowers to sunsets, shades of pink represent beauty in nature. It signals warmth, affection and tenderness.
Yellow = Energy, Joy, Intellect
Bold, lively yellow ignites feelings of vigor and enthusiasm. Soft yellows evoke memories of sunny days full of contentment.
Neutral Tones = Calm, Balance, Support
Simple neutrals allow other colors to take focus, serving as a blank canvas and a steady foundation.
By recognizing what colors represent, we can understand why they elicit certain moods. This provides guidance on which hues best promote relaxation and calm over anxiety.
Conclusion
Incorporating purposeful use of color into spaces, activities, clothing and more can have measurable impacts for individuals dealing with anxiety disorders. While reactions to color are somewhat subjective, the calming effects of cool blues, verdant greens, soft pinks, and neutral tones are well-documented. Likewise, avoiding overexposure to bold, stimulating shades appears beneficial. With some trial and error to determine personalized preferences, surrounding oneself with anxiety-reducing colors can assist with managing worry, panic, and anxious thoughts and feelings. Used in conjunction with therapy, medication, deep breathing, meditation and other treatments, leveraging color psychology could provide that extra boost to find steadiness, harmony and relief from anxiety’s grip.
