How Color Can Affect Your Mood and Reduce Stress

Colors do so much more than just provide decoration and create works of art. In fact, psychological studies show that colors have a profound effect on mental health and significantly impact the moods and emotions that people feel. During these uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s especially important to take note of your mental status and do what you can to feel positive and happy.

Here’s how to use paint colors to ease stress and depression and feel healthier and happier while quarantined and spending more time at home.

Color and Stress Relief

Blue hues can make you feel calmer and more relaxed, which is ideal during times when you are feeling stressed out and anxious. One of the most important rooms in the house for you to feel relaxed is the bedroom, which is why blue hues are so popular in this room of the house While you are stuck at home, consider painting the walls of your bedroom a deep blue like PPG’s Chinese Porcelain to soothe your anxieties and get more restful nights of sleep.

Blue is also a popular bathroom color because this calming hue can transform a bathroom into a spa-like environment to satiate you until you’re able to book at treatment at your favorite local spa. We love PPG’s Holly Glen, a tranquil blue-green shade, with white trim for total spa-vibes.

Color and Fighting Depression

Surrounding yourself with the right colors can also help you improve your mood and fight waves of depression. Bright and happy colors that remind you of the warmth of a fire or a beautiful sunset are great for fighting depression and reminding you of all the good in the world.

For example, red symbolizes love and excitement, orange symbolizes enthusiasm, yellow symbolizes warmth, and pink symbolizes romance and kindness. We love PPG’s Sausalito and Chili Pepper, a soft yellow and a cozy coral orange, for those looking to experiment with color. Consider painting an accent wall with one of these vibrant shades in your living room or kitchen to boost your mood and help you see the brighter side of life.

Color and Productivity

Many people are putting pressure on themselves right now to be extra productive because they are spending more time at home without the usual “distractions” of social gatherings and local events. However, it can be very difficult to be motivated with your work, homeschooling the kids, craft projects, and other endeavors if you are feeling sad, overwhelmed, or hopeless. For rooms that you want to be more productive in, such as a home office or craft room, use a purple hue on the walls to feel more spiritual or a brown paint color to feel stronger and more stable.

More Strategies for Color Therapy

Since ancient times, color has been used as a source of therapy because of its natural healing properties. Green wall paint and other earth tones can help you feel more grounded and connected to nature when you feel like the world is spiraling out of control. PPG’s 2019 Color of the Year, Night Watch, was a deep green intended to reconnect people to the outdoors. Meanwhile, red paint can help stimulate the mind and body, and orange can give you a much-needed energy boost.

To determine which colors benefit you the most, try wearing various colors and surrounding yourself with objects and fabrics of different colors to see how they make you feel. With a better understanding of this phenomenon, you can make a good decision about choosing a new interior wall paint color that will create a more positive environment during the current stay-at-home orders and beyond.

You can order swatches any of the colors mentioned in this post through our color portal, for free!

Get Help with Your Next Painting Project

Now is an ideal time to take on a new home renovation project and make positive changes in your home environment that improve your mental health. We take your health and safety seriously and have local professional house painting contractors who will take every necessary precaution when coming to your home for an interior or exterior painting job.

To learn more about how we are keeping our painters and customers safe, please contact us via live chat or by calling us at 866-343-9981. We look forward to helping you make the most of your extra time at home and feeling a little better every day while surrounded by the colors you love.