According to the London Image Institute, all primary colors have universal meanings even though subjective preferences exist among individuals. This means that the effects of using one color over another go even further than visual appearances. In everyday life, colors influence us to alter a person’s mood, emotions, and even their resulting actions.
With this guide, you can capture the power of every color in your very own home. All you need to know is the influence of color and then apply it to LED light colors for different situations in your home, and you can take concrete steps toward controlling your mood.
LED Light Colors and their Meaning
You might already be aware that wearing your favorite color boosts your mood for the day. But did you know that there is proven evidence supporting how colors make us feel?
Hospitals have been intentionally placing soothing colors in buildings for over a century. Every color persuades us to feel unique emotions and bodily responses. Knowing the ways colors can enhance our mindset allows us to use those effects to their greatest potential.
Therefore, knowing the distinct ways colors can influence your brain gives you a useful and creative tool to control your mood. By simply flicking a switch, you might be able to go from feelings of anxiety or restlessness to feelings of tranquility and calm, all because of the lights you choose for your space.
Some colors might help you fall asleep while others get you pumped up. One color can even make you feel hungry. Yet, another can lessen your appetite. While you can reap many benefits layered on any single color, these effects can be targeted to your specific needs.
Read on so that you can harness these results to your advantage. Once you discover each LED light color meaning, a better mood is just one hue away.
Blue
As a popular primary color with many diverse associations, you are likely to encounter blue often in your daily life. Whether you are gazing at a clear blue sky, swimming in a deep ocean, or driving past a blue billboard, you might find that you feel similar emotions simply due to the color you are seeing.
Since this shade exists in many natural elements like water and sky, it frequently appears peaceful and serene. This could be one reason that it is the most universally favored color, further instituting its place as a safe and welcoming color. With the prevalence of blue in company uniforms, sales campaigns, and office decorations, all people associate this color with comfort and trust.
Some key emotions that this color might cause you to feel are calmness, honesty, and even sadness. There is a pattern of stability in all of these sensations. Therefore, blue endures as a timeless, relaxing color.
If you are looking to convey sincerity and safety, any shade of blue is a great choice.
Purple
Purple is a popular secondary color that results from mixing blue and red shades to achieve this intriguing, mysterious color. Since purple is less naturally occurring, it can be perceived as spiritual or imaginative.
One popular cultural association of purple is that of regality and prestige. Since purple dye was a more expensive option, using this color in clothing wordlessly communicated a position of wealth. Those cultural associations have certainly remained in the modern-day, as purple is still subconsciously connected with high ideals like fantasy and spirituality.
Other psychological factors associated with shades of purple include wisdom, mystery, bravery, or mourning. Many of these feelings originate from thinking deeply, making these hues a calming and mindful color. Perhaps the emotions linked to this color resemble the deep, rich shades that are achieved by combining the vividness of red with the depth of blue.
This color can easily transform your mood into a more pensive, dynamic, and even prestigious level. Use purple when you need to feel thoughtful or brave, and it is sure to help.
Pink
Even though pink is a lighter form of red, it has taken on a unique set of cultural associations, with many effects being universal, just like other primary colors. Though pink has long been associated with feminine energy, it has other measurable effects as well.
Some associations with this color include creativity, joyfulness, and vibrancy. Pink presents itself as a color full of expression and attitude. This color has many positive features of red with fewer negative implications since the tones soften from red to pink. One of the main benefits of using the color pink is its ability to calm the viewer. This strategy has even been implemented in prisons by using pink light to provide the inmates with a sense of calmness.
However, results also show that using these techniques for too long in confined spaces can have the opposite effect and may agitate viewers instead of calm them down. Therefore, the color pink is proven to be beneficial in moderation.
You might use the color pink to facilitate romance, calmness, or to express your feminine identity.
Red
The color red is one of the most visible colors on the color spectrum because of its long wavelength. The strong effects red has on viewers testifies to the intensity of the wavelength of this shade.
There is a range of emotions associated with shades of red, related by a sense of intensity and urgency. Some positive feelings are excitement, passion, hunger, and sexuality. These feelings can arise subconsciously, which explains why many restaurants feature the color red to increase patrons’ appetites. It is also a popular accent color in clothing to convey desire and ignite intrigue.
Some negative emotions associated with this color could be a sense of danger, anger, dominance, or aggression. This is also a popular color in sports teams to intimidate and reflect confidence.
Whether the color red is being used as a warning or as an invitation, it is sure to elicit action and desire. This color can be useful if you need to find a burst of motivation, inspiration, or power.
Orange
This bright shade is the most attention-grabbing of the secondary colors. For this reason, orange has many lively associations, similar to the bright shades of red and yellow from which orange originates.
The common emotions linked to the color orange include enthusiasm, energy, arousal, happiness, and even meditation. Because of these lively effects, you will likely find orange in places where action and individuality are valued, such as marketing, sports, and shopping. In contrast to the other energy-associated shades of red and yellow, orange does not carry as many of the negative emotions linked with those more powerful primary colors.
However, some studies indicate that these feelings of excitement and activity that the color elicits can limit a person’s focus or attention span. Therefore, orange might not be the most helpful shade to encourage long hours of studying or reading.
If you need a color for motivation and uplifting, orange can deliver.
Yellow
It is no surprise that yellow is associated with feelings of brightness and intensity when it is the blinding color of our sun. Since yellow shades can range from warmth to brightness, there can be diverse uses for this color as well.
The color yellow can induce feelings of cheeriness, warmth, and energy. With many connections being made to the life-giving properties of the sun, yellow is an inspiring and invigorating color. Like you might feel on a clear day at high noon, the color yellow can brighten your spirits at any time or place.
It can also lead a viewer to develop emotions of aggression, frustration, or confrontation if used in great quantities. Because of its intensity, yellow might elicit these feelings more strongly than some other muted colors.
If you are seeking to express energy and warmth, yellow is the perfect color.
Green
As a color that is heavily associated with the natural elements of leaves, foliage, and vegetables, green easily communicates feelings of freshness and life.
Some emotions transmitted through shades of green are natural feelings of tranquillity, motivation, and good health.
Because of the strong connection with nature, many people love the color green’s ability to convey fertility, luck, prosperity, and creativity. Some studies even reflect that the color green can enhance the reading ability of participants, especially when compared to reading under a red light.
The natural earthiness of the color green leads many people to enjoy the calm but invigorating effects it can bring. However, in excess, green can be associated with feelings of greed or jealousy. Much like a plant that has overgrown, appreciating the color green in moderation can lead to great results.
You might use this color if you are seeking a steady form of motivation in addition to optimism and inspiration.
The Effect Of Color Lighting
Not only can your mood be boosted when you try different colored LED lights, but your productivity can be altered as well. Whether you need to unwind after a stressful day or you want to kick your goals into high gear, your accomplishments can flourish by the lights and colors that you surround yourself with.
One study performed by the Journal of Physical Therapy Science finds that altering the lighting of a room can have measurable effects on participants’ perception of time and their mood. Therefore, these results can be utilized by everyone whether they want to raise their energy, calm their nerves, or anything in between.
Chromotherapy
These solutions can even extend beyond your own home, as a phenomenon known as chromotherapy, or color therapy, is beginning to be used in medicine. Distinct from light therapy, which uses white light, this theory operates on the premise that colored light may improve physical ailments or beneficially influence your body. In addition to the emotional benefits these colors bring, your bodily troubles may find help in these wavelengths of colored light.
See the possible benefits of each color below:
- Red light can ease muscle stiffness and increase libido
- Yellow light can improve digestion and fight depression
- Blue light can lower blood pressure and reduce headaches
- Greenlight can strengthen muscles and boost the immune system
- Purple light can treat insomnia and reduce stress
- Orange light can improve breathing and help stimulate breast milk production
LED Light Color For Different Moods
If you are focusing on a particular task, changing the lighting can be a great way to train your brain to focus your energy in the right direction. Having established ways that colors can affect your mood, I will recommend some scenarios where they can be advantageous. These LED light colors and their meaning can target the perfect emotions and energies to make you the most productive.
Best Color for Studying: Green
The best color for studying that promotes focus, creativity, and relaxation is green. Not only has this color been proven to improve reading compared to other colors of light, but this nature-centric color helps people to feel at ease and be attentive, according to a recent study on adults.
While other shades can cause drowsiness or restlessness, green is a nicely balanced color that can increase productivity without causing you to stress about your tasks. Whether you are reading a book for pleasure or studying for an exam, the natural and fresh tones of green can give you an extra edge.
Best Color for Relaxation: Pink
Pink light can induce feelings of calm and romance. If you want your body to be alert and at ease, consider purchasing a pink-toned light. This color can enhance your mood through the soft, muted tones of pink.
Especially in moderate amounts, the initial exposure to this color will refresh your mind and calm your nerves. This light can soothe building anxieties and introduce a steady sense of relaxation to help you get through your day.
Best Color for Sleeping: Purple
The color purple can reduce stress from emotional or mental turmoil. Due to these soothing properties, this color makes for the best sleep-inducing shade. Since it has links to the nervous system and eyes, this deep color can help you fall asleep like a dream.
With the help of the dark, deep shades of purple, your body can naturally descend into a restful sleep. Soft purple light is a perfect way to transition your eyes into the darkness of sleep so that you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and rested.
Best Color to Ease Headaches: Blue
Since blue light can encourage relaxation while also prolonging alertness, this makes for the perfect color to treat headaches. Blue shades can help calm nerves and even lower blood pressure, so try this first when you have a migraine.
The steady emotions linked to this color can help slow your thoughts while also physically soothing your eyes and head. You will begin to feel relaxed in your body and mind. If you need to get work done but are suffering from a headache, blue light can help comfortably prolong your focus.
Best Color to Improve Mood: Yellow
Yellow light can increase your positivity and mood. After all, it is linked to warm sunlight and natural energy. This color can boost your mental state with those same benefits. Try this color if you are looking to combat depression or if you need help being more productive. Yellow light helps your mind and your body to work at their best.
Even on a cloudy day or on a fun night after the sun goes down, yellow light can prolong your optimistic feelings even longer than the sun. If you need to kick start your positivity, this color can always come to your rescue, day or night.
Verdict: Best LED Light Colors For Different Situations
Every main color contains properties that will boost your body and mood.
If you need help calming down, blue and purple are great choices. Both of these colors can ease pain and even help you transition into a mindful sleep.
If you need help focusing and de-stressing, pink and green will do the job. Known for their abilities to de-escalate tension and prolong energy, these colors can provide your body and mind with balance and calm.
If you’d rather get a boost of energy, red, orange, and yellow are the best options. These lively colors are the ones that are sure to boost your inspiration and vitality for activities and the best mood.
LED Colors and Mood Final Thoughts
While these associations and responses to color are natural to everyone, we can use those mood-boosters to our advantage. Whether you are looking for better ways to express your style or easier ways to focus your mind, finding the right LED light color meaning can help. Try these natural methods to improve your perspective, no matter what the situation.