Have you ever entered a room and immediately felt a certain way – cozy, relaxed, peaceful, anxious? Believe it or not, each color has properties that can affect your mood, as well as alleviate some ailments, and aggravate others!

Red – creates drama. If you’re not sure about painting a whole room red, using red as an accent might be a good starting point. Or, consider using different shades of red instead of a true saturated red to see how you react to this color. Red can alleviate a head cold, muscle aches, and some circulatory problems, it can also boost your energy level. However, if you have problems with anger, insomnia, high blood pressure, or heart problems, red can aggravate them more.

Yellow – brings joy, happiness, and raises spirits. As with red, strong hues of yellow can be overwhelming, you may find that softer shades are appropriate for your home. It is found that yellow is beneficial for mental activity as it focuses the brain, helps with concentration, and improves memory. It can also aid in digestion making it a good choice for a kitchen, or eating area. Surround yourself with yellow to alleviate fatigue, mental strain or depression, but if you possess aggression, hyperactivity or insomnia, yellow can aggravate these.

Green – think of nature; life, freshness, and relaxation. Consider green in a space where you want to relax. Green can relieve stress, hypertension and alleviate allergies and asthma! You’ve heard the phrase “green with envy”? Be mindful that green can aggravate jealousy and resentment.

Blue – relaxing and serene. Blue can aid in recovery, enhance learning, and allow clearer thinking. Add blue to a room where you want to alleviate insomnia, anxiety, and build self-confidence. Because blue is a “cool” color, if you find you are typically chilly, surrounding yourself in blue might aggravate this, and can also make you feel sad and isolated.

Purple – inspiring. If you feel like you need more creativity, motivation, or spiritual direction, purple may be for you. It can also alleviate slow-wittedness, and depression. It has been found however, that purple can aggravate shyness, alienation, emotional problems and addictive personalities.

To learn more about how colors can make you feel check out the book The Complete Color Directory by Alice Westgate.