IMPORTANCE OF COLOURS IN HUMAN LIFE

By: Princy Narang

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Colours form an inseparable part of our life. If we look around and observe, we can see multiplicity of colours which are blending into our lives and they do have an effect on us but this may vary from individual to individual and also on the circumstances.

Colours are a part of our everyday life and a life without colours would be boring and dull. Colours have a strong effect on senses especially on sight, touch and taste and also on our emotions and overall personality.

Let us go in detail about how important are colours for us and our overall life and their usage:

EFFECT ON EMOTIONS/ PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF COLORS:

Effect of colours on emotions, mood, psychology, personality of any individual comes under the domain of colour psychology. Colours affect mood and emotions by influencing the flow and amount of energy throughout the body. Different colours have different effects on human mind and body. Same colour may have different effect on different people. This can be understood by way of studying colours and their effects by categorising them into two:-

1. WARM COLOURS: like red, orange and yellow which can be exciting, stimulating or even anger igniting.
2. COOL COLOURS: like green, blue and purple often create feelings of calmness, serenity, content as well as sadness. 

I am giving a list of Common psychological effects of few common colors:

• RED: symbolizes love, warmth, romance, energy, excitement, style and even anger & danger.
• ORANGE: means happy, excited, energetic, prosperity, enthusiasm etc.
• YELLOW: is equivalent to happiness, joy, cheerfulness, intellect, positivity, laughter, intensity, hunger, anger etc
• WHITE: means purity, light, cleanliness, softness, innocence, coolness, simplicity, serenity and even sadness
• BLACK: is the colour of power, formal, strength, sophistication, intelligence, death even devil.
• GREEN: symbolize nature, growth, life, environment, freshness, safety, health, money, calmness and even envy
• BLUE: is calm, serene, loyal, cold, peace, sincerity, wise and trustworthy.
• PURPLE: denotes wealth, royalty, dignity spirituality, wisdom, respect, luxury etc.
• PINK: envisages love, gentleness, positivity, compassion, beauty and calmness.

HEALING EFFECT OF COLORS

Recently color therapy is also used to cure people of their ailments. Colour therapy is a holistic way of treating people. It helps in improving physical, mental and even emotional health of patients.

Colour therapy helps in reducing stress, flow of energy through the body and in complete relaxation of mind and body. Each colour has a specific effect on body’s energy and vitality.

Even in ancient time’s, use of colours for betterment was quite evident for e.g. palaces of kings used to have various coloured glasses in the windows of their rooms through which sunrays would come inside and these coloured rays help them in being happy, calm and relaxed.

 

USE OF COLOURS IN ADVERTISING AND BUSINESS

Colours play a very important role in business world. The companies make use various colours according to its effect on the customers mind in their logos and various marketing and advertising strategies.

Some colours have calm effect, some have exciting effect, some create hunger etc.

Let us see a few examples:

1. Red and yellow are capable of exciting and creating very strong emotions and thus they are oftenly used by various restaurants and food outlets because the evoke hunger amongst onlookers like Mc Donald’s, Walls, KFC, Hard Rock Cafe etc.  
2. Blue color evokes trust and loyalty among-st the customers about the brand and company and that is why most of the Banks and finance companies use blue logos and blue boards.
3. It is also seen that in most of the shops you find yellow lighting and yellow coloured decor to evoke your emotions and push you to shop.
4. Jewellery stores mostly make use of golden lightings as golden colour denotes luxury, extravagance, prestige and richness and thus attract the consumers who desire luxury and wealth.

USE OF COLOURS IN HOMES AND OFFICES:

Since ages people are using a few colours to paint their homes and workplaces. The colour used on walls of different rooms and even exteriors have a specific effect on your minds and may create flow of positive energy or may be quite depressing.

People tend to colour their living rooms in bright colours so that it gives them a gush of energy as and when they enter into it after whole day of work. It rejuvenates them and makes them fresh and energetic. However some people may choose light colours in their living rooms because they want to feel relaxed and calm.

Bedrooms are mostly coloured in shades of red, pink or purple to create effect of warmth, cosiness, positivity and love. Kid’s room are mostly painted with bright colours, as kids are full of energy.

Moreover choice of colours, even have an effect on the size and lighting of room. Colouring walls with light colours can make a room look bigger and brighter while dark colours can be used in big rooms to make them appear cosy.

Areas which are meant to evoke ideas, creativity and passions are mostly coloured in various bright and inviting colours like red, yellow, orange etc.

Offices should be painted in colours which tend to increase productivity, efficiency and creativity amongst the staff. Most commonly people use light colours in offices like light blue, very shades of green or even yellow.

Even the colour of bed-sheets and furniture used in homes and offices, have different effect on different people.

COLOURS AND FASHION:

Use of colours in fashion is very prominent. Whichever colour you wear has a particular effect on you and on others too. Each colour tell a story of your mood like yellow or red shows your happy mood, while white or grey depicts your reserved or introvert or simple nature.

Even events, days or places decide a person’s choice of colours like if you are going on a date you may prefer colours like red or pink, or on weddings bright and shiny colours, or going for interviews light colours especially light blue as it is the colour of loyalty and it has a great affect on the interviewer, or if you are going to some crowded place you may go for yellow or orange shades so that you can get noticed easily, or at formal events you may go for black as it is the most formal looking colour etc.

In the end I would say that though we are surrounded by so many colours but each colour has a different meaning. Colours may range from bright to dull; from warm to cool; from relaxing to exciting etc. but still all the colours play a very important role in human life. Colours not only affect your thinking but also your mood, your actions, reactions and expressions. 

Colours may have a healing effect or even a depressing effect. Also the use of colours in your lives, houses, fashion and business have a very specific effect and their apt usage may lead to a huge difference.

Please do share your thoughts and favourite color here in comments section.

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