Colour Therapy Techniques to Trigger Happiness

If you are feeling down and stressed out by the many challenges we are facing, colour therapy can help to trigger happiness and assist in making you feel inspired and upbeat again.

How Colour Therapy Works

Without us even realising it, the colours we surround ourselves with can have a noticeable effect on our physical, mental and emotional well-being because each and every colour has an energy and vibration that affects us whether we like that colour or not.

Physical Colour Response

Generally, red and blue have the biggest influence on us physically. Exposure to red increases blood pressure and heart rate making the body feel tense, while exposure to blue has the opposite effect of lowering blood pressure and relaxing the body.

Mental colour response

Colours can change our perception of a space, for instance warm colours like red can make a room look smaller than it is, whereas blue creates a feeling of space and can make a room look larger than it is.

Emotional Colour Response

On an emotional level, generally red excites us while blue is more relaxing.

To lead a happy balanced life, we need to have a balance of all colours in our life. Often when we are feeling down or lacking energy, we may have an energy block and colour therapy can help by providing the colour energy we need to get our energy flowing again.

For example, if we feel down and lethargic, exposure to blue may inspire and relax you, but what you may actually need is some orange or yellow energy to uplift as well as increase happiness and hope.

Colour therapy works on freeing the energy flow of the body using various techniques including, coloured light (often used by colour practitioners), coloured crystals, colour in your surroundings, coloured clothes, coloured food and coloured breathing.

Colour Therapy Techniques to Trigger Happiness

1. Recharge with Colours in Nature

Whether a walk in a park, along the beach or any green space, getting into nature is one of the best triggers of happiness. The colour most associated with nature is green.

Green is the colour of balance

Green is soothing, calming and balancing both physically and mentally. It relieves tension and helps to stabilize the emotions.

If you are not able to get outdoors as much as you would like, introduce more green plants into your home.

A trip to a wildlife reserve is where I find my happiness. There is something incredibly special being in the bush observing our beautiful landscape and wildlife. There is also the added happiness knowing you are supporting the preservation of wild animals and birds which are our heritage.

Red is the colour of energy

Red is complementary or opposite colour of green. The two colours when used together enhance and balance each other.

It’s important to balance the colours we surround ourselves with as too much of one colour can have a negative effect. For example, too much green can make you feel lazy and indecisive.

While Red stimulates the senses, it is energizing and motivating, it keeps us alert and helps with decision making. However, too much red can be oppressive and tiring.

2. Using Coloured Crystals

Crystals are an example of perfect harmony and balance and can help to get your energy flowing again.

There is not much happiness to be had when you don’t get enough sleep and that has been a big problem for me recently.

On a recent visit to African Gems and Minerals in Cape Town, I learned that amethyst is helpful for those needing help to calm the mind and help with insomnia. (Lavender oil helps too – note the colour)

Purple is the colour of spirituality

Often used in meditation, purple energy helps to balance emotional disturbances, it helps to bring peace and combat shock or fear. It also stimulates creativity and increases our appreciation of beauty, art and music.

In addition to assisting with meditation and insomnia amethyst is also uplifting, it encourages healing dreams, reduces tension and helps with headaches.

 I was told to meditate with it as follows;

Hold the crystal in your left hand – it is the receiving hand.

Study the crystal, it’s many tints and shades, shapes and textures to help calm the mind.

When ready, close your eyes and breathe in deeply (so your tummy rises) thinking of all the positive things you want to happen.

Then to breathe out deeply, expelling all the negative thoughts. 

Other crystals that can trigger happiness are turquoise crystals. Aquamarine for example is considered to be the crystal of eternal youth and happiness and it provides protection from negative forces.

For more on coloured crystals see The Benefits of Coloured Crystals in Your Home

3. Wearing Coloured Clothes

The colours we wear can also impact our mood and the way we feel.

Pink is a great colour to wear when you feel like being kind to yourself as well as others, it conveys a kind, optimistic and fun attitude.

Orange is the colour of fun

Orange is a great colour to wear when you want to bring a bit of joy and happiness into your life, it frees and releases emotions and promotes conversation and laughter.

Yellow is the colour of happiness

Wearing yellow will also lift your spirits, it attracts attention and conveys an uplifting, positive and cheerful message. Use as an accent if you don’t want to attract too much attention.

For more information on this read What the Colours We Wear Say About You

4. Eating Colourful Food

Red foods like red cabbage, red peppers, chillies, cherries etc. increase energy and vitality. They help to alleviate depression by lifting our spirits and building confidence.

Orange foods like pawpaw, butternut, oranges and carrots etc. act like a tonic, helping to free emotions, remove inhibitions and give emotional strength. Orange foods are a great antidepressant.

Writer DH Lawrence would make orange marmalade when he was depressed. In addition to eating it, looking at the light shining through the marmalade bottles on his shelf would always lift his spirits.

Yellow foods like lemons, bananas, corn, nuts and seeds etc. are linked to the rays of the sun and encourage feelings of hope and optimism when we are feeling down.

Blue is the colour of peace

Blue helps quieten the mind, it is relaxing and calming.

Each colour food group has health benefits and we need a balance of all colours for a healthy balanced life read more on Why We Should Be Eating a Rainbow Coloured Diet

5. Introducing Colours in your Home

Surrounding yourself with colours that you love is a sure way to trigger emotions into happiness.

Take a look at the colours and their energy below. If you feel you would like to introduce more uplifting colours into your home, it easy to do that with accents like flowers, bowls of fruit, artwork, cushions or rugs.

Red: The most energetic of all colours. Red is passionate and motivating, introduce red when you need an energy boost but beware too much red can be overbearing.

Pink: While red is passionate, pink is more romance. Whenever you add white to a colour you reduce the intensity of the energy. Pink is uplifting and optimistic and we can all do with looking through the world with rose tinted glasses at the moment.

Orange: Orange is friendly, creative and fun. Just like the fruit it is a great immune booster and a good colour to have around right now.

Yellow: Yellow is one of the most uplifting colours of the spectrum, it brings feelings of joy and happiness as well as hope. But it can be very bright and mentally stimulating, so when using it for your home as a wall colour stick to the softer shades. A bowl of yellow lemons in the kitchen however is a great way to add some yellow energy in your home.

Green: Green is calming and soothing both physically and emotionally. It helps us to find balance and gives us the feeling of being free.

Blue: Blue has the energy of peace, relaxation and openness.

Purple: Purple heightens our spirituality, intuition and creativity. It enhances self-respect and dignity.

Think about painting your front door your favourite colour, each day when you come home just seeing your front door will trigger happiness.

6. Notice the Colours in Your Surroundings

In conclusion, we really need a balance of all colours in our lives, we all know how seeing a rainbow is a form of colour therapy and certainly triggers happiness.

We don’t need to wait for a rainbow though, just paying attention to our surroundings, even walking in the street can reveal some wonderful surprises.

I adore how people use colours to improve their neighbourhoods and love the amazing talent of many of our graffiti artists who can totally uplift a neighbourhood with their talent and a bit of colour.