Our moods are affected by a variety of different things every day. Most students attribute their moods to certain circumstances they can put their finger on, like homework load, interactions with friends or the tests that may be looming over them for the coming week. Some never pause to think about the more miniscule components of everyday life that no doubt affect our mood, like color.
It’s something you rarely ever think about unless you’re looking at a famous painting in a museum or picking out an outfit. However, color is important. It has been psychologically proven that different colors affect our moods in different ways.
For example, painting the walls of a room a warm color, such as sunset orange, can make a person feel happy, content and more at home. Painting the walls blue make the space seem cold and uninviting, and many people report feeling sad in a room like this. If you want to make your home or even dorm room more inviting and comfortable, choose colors because of their aesthetic qualities, not just because they look complementary, neat and put together.
The media has had an incredible influence on people while using color and color schemes to attract or detract attention. “Color is influential on every level of the marketplace, from brand logo, image, signage, display, packaging – where the color has to entice at the point of sale – to the product itself,” said Leatice Eiseman, director of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training. This organization markets their knowledge of colors to big corporations to boost their performance.
Eiseman is often referred to as a color genius. He knows what almost every color in nature does to our moods and how much a person will buy or not buy when influenced by color. In other words, Eiseman’s theories are probably mighty dangerous to shopaholics.
Eiseman boldly stated the use for the color red as, “An appetite stimulant! It’s the ultimate enticing and dramatic color. It’s great for attracting the eye.” Maybe that’s why many fast food chains and other restaurants heavily decorate with bold colors and post red blinking signs that consumers can see for miles out – even before they decide if they’re hungry or not.
What does your favorite color say to you? “My favorite color is green,” freshman Jess VanderBaan said. “It reminds me of nature and the outdoors. Whenever I walk outside, seeing the grass and trees just makes me happy. I guess attribute that happy feeling I get when I’m outdoors to every time I see the color green.”
Whether your favorite color is aqua (the most popular girl’s color on campus) or red (the most popular guy’s color) or somewhere in between, think about how that color makes you feel. The colors you choose to paint your life with can ultimately influence your moods, so choose wisely!