Whatever your work role; be it professional, academic, creative, active or domestic, it’s important that you stay motivated to do your best at it and continue on in the vein you most enjoy. Work can often seem grey compared to the rest of life, but injecting a little color to proceedings can inspire and galvanize you to achieve new feats and get through even the most hectic of workloads. But why is color important? Ponderlily explains.
There are various psychological studies available mapping out the emotions that colors can spark in individuals. Of course, we’re all different, and this, as with anything, is never one-size-fits-all, but it’s a good indicator and worth trying out in your workspace to see if it works for you.
Green brings broad thinking
Environmental Psychologist Sally Augustin recommends green as a shade to promote broad and free thinking. This stems from a positive association between green and the concept of nature, re-birth and growth as humans mostly relate green to the great outdoors. Bringing green into your working environment can be as minimal or as prevalent as you like, and can include everything from small plants to green walls, mood boards or candles scented with fragrances you associate with the best of nature. We know that having indoor plants lowers carbon dioxide levels and is conducive to good health, so you can achieve that alongside gaining some head space by introducing some green plants, even if they’re small.
Red promotes attention to detail
A study by the University of British Columbia found that our ongoing association of red with sales signs, warnings and error corrections means that it promotes a careful eye for detail amongst those surrounded by it. Juliet Zhu, one of the study’s authors, explains: “he avoidance motivation, or heightened state, that red activates makes us vigilant and thus helps us perform tasks where careful attention is required to produce a right or wrong answer”. If you work in a technical role or with something that requires lots of care and attention, red is therefore the ideal color for you. Consider a red accent wall, red desk accessories and using red pens.
Yellow helps nurture decision making
If you’re fickle or find it difficult to draw a line under decision making, yellow may be the best color for your workspace. Colour Therapy Consultants Colour Affect say that “the right yellow will lift our spirits and our self-esteem; it is the colour of confidence and optimism”. What’s more, it works great as a highlight colour that really brightens any environment, so you can add splashes of it to your working area without overwhelming yourself. Buy some yellow stationery, frame some inspirational quotes in yellow and change your desktop to the yellow hue you like best. You’ll be making well informed and educated good decisions in no time!
A splash of color can brighten your mood and your room, so never underestimate color’s capabilities.
You wouldn’t want the weather to be dark all the time, so why should the environment you need to thrive in be?
