Colour therapy (2024)

As a form of self-care, this could involve looking at or handling things in colours you find calming. Anecdotally, people believe that while red promotes anxiety, blue can have a soothing effect. Others say that pink reduces aggression. Because everyone is different, it’s more important just to spend the time with the colours that you find uplifting, whether that's by noticing them in nature or looking at pictures online.

There are also colour therapists, who focus more specifically on the idea that, because light moves in waves of varying lengths, each colour has a different wavelength and therefore we sense them all individually.

Colour therapists believe that different colours in the spectrum can harmonise or rebalance the body’s inner vibrations. A colour therapy session may look at ways certain colours are corresponding to aspects of your life, and invite you to talk about what that may mean.

Colour therapy (1)

What young people have told us:

'It made me think about the colours around me and what I found negative and why, then try to focus on the more positive colours.'

'Find something in a colour that you love and train yourself to look at or think of it when you're feeling low.'

'I strongly find the colour orange to be very happy and calming, though this is only because I have a very specific orange object that I love and makes me extremely happy so I don't think this would work for me without such a strong connection to a particular colour.'

'Being surrounded by the colours that Ifind soothing helps me feel safe, secure and calm. Ithink it helps because everywhere Ilook Isee my favourite things and favourite colours that remind me of nature.'

There isn’t much academic research in the area of self-care for young people who are living with mental health issues. We are trying to find out more about what works for different people so we can better advise other young people what to try.

If you’ve tried this activity when you were struggling in relation to your mental health, please let us know if it helped you and how by clicking on the ‘Did this activity help you’ button.

Colour therapy (2024)

FAQs

Colour therapy? ›

Color therapy—often known as chromotherapy—uses the power of color in our everyday lives to support our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. From the paint on our walls to the clothes we wear, and even the light that fills our rooms, color therapy can help you navigate how you use colors.

What does color therapy do? ›

What is color therapy? Also known as chromotherapy, color therapy is based on the idea that color and colored lights can help treat physical or mental health. According to this idea, they cause subtle changes in our moods and biology. Color therapy has a long history.

Is colour therapy safe? ›

The colours you choose should be deliberated over. The colour green is generally agreed upon as the safest option. Bright colours like red and orange may make you feel too excited and antsy to relax. Individualized treatment strategies are also very important in the field of colour therapy.

What is the most healing color? ›

Green is the color of life, renewal, nature, and energy. The color green has healing power and is the most relaxing color for the human eye to view.

What are the disadvantages of color therapy? ›

Are there any disadvantages? It can be expensive and impractical to change the colour of your surroundings (i.e. by painting walls), especially in settings outside the home.

What is the color for anxiety? ›

Decrease stress and anxiety: The calming effects of certain colors are a cornerstone of color therapy. Shades of blue and green can help reduce stress and anxiety, making them excellent choices for spaces where relaxation is key.

What is the best color for depression? ›

Green can improve your mood when you're feeling sad, hopeless, or depressed because of its association with nature.

What color light is best for anxiety? ›

Blue light therapy is the most effective for anxiety and other mood disorders. This treatment aims to correct both physiological and psychological imbalances. When the body is stressed, blue light can effectively calm it. Blue light has the most energy of any color in the electromagnetic spectrum.

What is an example of color therapy? ›

Color therapy may be administered via: Eyesight: This may be done by exposing a person to specific colors throughout the day, such as the paint colors in their home, the clothes they wear, or the color of light bulbs in their workplace.

Is color therapy free? ›

Our app is free and it is available on AppStore. However, we have a VIP subscription that offers more color palettes, brushes, and coloring books.

What color is best for therapy? ›

Soothing and grounded

It's no secret that soothing blues and grounded greens are highly favored colors for private practices. Color palettes that draw from nature are inherently calming and this is often the mood a therapist strives to create in their office.

Does colour psychology work? ›

Modern Research on Color Psychology

Colors also have different meanings in different cultures. However, the mood-altering effects of color may only be temporary. A blue room may initially cause feelings of calm, but the effect dissipates after a short period of time.

What color is a healer? ›

Green Aura

If you're in a state of renewal or healing, such as a new job or moving on from a previous relationship, your aura maybe green. A green aura is predominately a color of health, healing, and comfort, and those with a prevailing green aura could be considered healing entities.

What is the most powerful color in the world? ›

Red. Red is the most powerful color associated with fire, violence, war, love and passion. Historically, red represents both the Devil and the Cupid. Red can affect our physiology as it raises blood pressure and respiration rate.

What color heals your eyes? ›

Red light therapy treatments, with both red and near infrared wavelengths, aren't just safe for eyes. They're also a proven way to help heal eye injuries, reduce inflammation, and protect against vision loss, as shown in numerous peer-reviewed clinical studies.

How does colour help mental health? ›

Happy, bright colors can increase your mental activity and leave you feeling rejuvenated and energized. This is especially helpful for those dealing with depression or low energy. Conversely, exposure to dark, somber colors can help bring your energy levels down if you're feeling overstimulated or frantic .

Does colour light therapy work? ›

Often blue and red light are used in combination to help fight acne — the blue light targeting the C. acnes and the red light targeting inflammation and redness. However, more research is needed to confirm that these lights are truly effective and that they produce lasting results.

Do color therapy glasses really work? ›

Color therapy glasses have been found to be highly effective in treating various health conditions. Studies have shown that these glasses have helped individuals reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and enhance mood and emotional well-being.

What does color theory help with? ›

Color theory can help designers determine which colors look good together. Color theory goes beyond just “eyeing” color combinations, though, which is where the science part comes in. At the heart of color theory is the color wheel, which was created in the late 17th century by Sir Isaac Newton.

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