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What really makes you happy when skies are grey? Well, according to the Manchester Color Wheel Study published in BMC Medical Research, it’s the color yellow!
The researchers looked at the impact of color on people, asking the participants about their favorite colors and how each affected their mood. The results found that the brightness of yellow relates to a stable mood. Meanwhile, grey is most associated with feeling anxious or depressed.
You’re probably already familiar with the emotional power of the color yellow. Which words come to mind when you think of the color yellow? Happiness, sunshine, or cheer are just a few.
Yellow has other associations, too, like mental clarity and intelligence. When you refer to someone who is smart, you say, “She is so bright”. And of course, the quintessential image of the yellow glowing light bulb representing a great new idea!
Have you ever wondered why a visual adjective (or a light bulb) would describe something like intelligence and mental ability? According to Color Psychology, yellow increases activity of the left side of the brain, the human powerhouse for rational thinking. Bright, sunny, and warm, yellow is a powerful color that encourages new ideas and sparks your creativity. So when you want to increase alertness and inspire, add yellow tones!
How to incorporate yellow into your life
You can inspire feelings of joy, optimism, and creativity by incorporating more yellow into your life. When it comes to your wardrobe, even a scarf, tie, or pocket square can add a pop of yellow to an outfit in an understated way.
In your home, you could go bold with a yellow wall paint, or take less of a risk with accent pieces, like yellow linens or wall art. When using yellow, whether in your wardrobe or interior design, consider mixing different hues. More subdued shades of yellow, like beige or amber, can brighten a room without feeling excessive.
Add brightness in your garden with yellow roses, sunflowers, or begonias. Herbs like dandelion, calendula, tarragon, and chamomile also sprout yellow. You’ll get hints of the color in broccoli as well as plants like varieties of tomatoes and peppers.
You can even take a similar approach when it comes to nutrition. If you want to get a full range of nutrients, the foods you eat should also represent a variety of colors. Colors of your produce come from the phytochemicals, which provide health benefits that work together with the vitamins, minerals, and fiber of the food, according to Harvard Health. So make sure to mix in healthy yellow foods, like ginger, lemon, banana, and turmeric.
Just remember, like anything in life, there is too much of a good thing. So you want to find balance when using color. After all, overexposure to even a bright shade like yellow could still make you feel burned out and exhausted.
Color has power. It carries energy that can influence our moods, thoughts, and behaviors. When you want to invoke cheerfulness, confidence, energy, and creativity, go for uplifting yellow.
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