Got the January blues? Colour therapy can bring you joy
January can leave us feeling a little meh with its icy temperatures and back to work/school blues. Our moods can dip a little at this time of year, when everything is seeming grey and dull, from our social lives to our wardrobes. The late winter and early spring can be a difficult time to dress for, because at this stage, we’re sick of our dark winter woollies and dying for some fresh spring looks, but it’s still just a little too cold to break out some light spring wear.
Luckily, one of this year’s major trends coming through in its palettes and runway shows is colour therapy, the perfect solution to those mid-winter blues!
Never heard of it? You’re not alone, but it’s a powerful tool that has the power to change or mood and even influence our mindset! Essentially, colour therapy is the idea that certain colours can make us feel certain ways. And this year, designers are using colour therapy to tackle the tough couple of years we’ve had by boosting your mood through bright and vibrant fashion!
Pervading many designers collections, there are certain tones coming through this year that are super colourful and happy shades, something we all need in the dark winter months! Some trending colours in this year’s winter/spring palettes are fuschia pink, ochre yellow, cobalt blue, cherry red and very prominently, bright bottle green!
For those of us that love a pop of colour in our wardrobes and dread the darkened tones of winter, this is truly fabulous news, that the future of fashion is not only colourful, but mood-boosting too – double whammy!
Colour therapy is a fascinating concept that is used in our daily lives, often without us knowing. Red, for example, implies danger and demands attention and caution – hence our stop signs and yield signs all feature red, to help them stand out on the road. Businesses employ certain colours for the brands to convey a message, the colour corresponding with an emotion or symbolising a characteristic of their brand – blue for honesty, calmness and trustworthiness, yellow for optimism and light-heartedness, white for sterility, purity and health.
These are associations that can be dated back to even the Egyptians, Greeks and Indians, or ‘Atharvana Veda’ who were known to use light reflecting through coloured crystals and glass to heal ailments and ‘blockages’ in the body. According to the Atharvana Veda, we all have different coloured ‘chakras’ in our bodies and certain colours need to be unblocked for wellness.
We may not always be aware of the messages the colours are sending, but they send them anyway to the people around us, which is why the colours we wear can affect not only us, but those that we surround ourselves with too.
Have you ever noticed you feel particularly confident in nay colours? Like that bright red coat you always strut in? Or the green dress that gives you an extra spring in your step?
Our minds subconsciously gravitate towards colours that may reflect how we’re feeling, like muted colours when we’re feeling low, and bolder colours when we’re confident. The colour receptors in our eyes can signal to our brain that this colour is causing an emotional response, so why not hack that outfit-choosing process and opt for some of these bright and vibrant colours to bring a little serotonin hit into your life?
Obviously, wearing bright yellow day after day won’t be a replacement for any mental health help you may need, but why not try it out for a little extra confidence boost for that meeting today, or your coffee date this weekend? You might surprise yourself just by opening up your wardrobe and seeing what you’re drawn to! At best, you get a confidence boost, and at worst, you get to wear a fun and whimsical colour, making you – and hopefully others – smile!
