Discover how you can use colour to improve mood and outlook.
Red
Passionate, bold, adventurous, confident, exuberant, successful, motivated, energetic and optimistic.
Red is stimulating and dynamic, but too much can be considered fiery and aggressive.
Add a touch of red to boost your confidence and shake off laziness.
Orange
Flamboyant, enthusiastic, determined, sociable, lively, instinctive, risk-taking and competitive.
Orange is warm, vibrant and uninhibited, but can also convey self-indulgence and insincerity.
Use orange to boost your enthusiasm and stimulate creative thinking.
Yellow
Happy, active, humorous, independent, friendly, spontaneous and bright.
Yellow has a sunny, joyful disposition, but too much can over stimulate, irritate or even cause nausea and anxiety.
Add a touch of yellow to give you a lift when you’re feeling down.
Green
Affectionate, kind, considerate, practical, nurturing, emotionally intelligent, gentle, loving, down-to-earth and nature-loving.
Green is a healing, safe and harmonious colour, but can make you feel complacent or laidback.
Use green to help you relax and rebalance.
Blue
Creative, expressive, communicative, inspiring, truthful, composed, loyal and sensitive.
Blue is calming and encourages tranquillity, but can sometimes increase feelings of sadness or indifference.
Tune into blue when you need to feel peaceful and calm.
Purple
Spiritual, empathic, magical, imaginative, intuitive, regal, visionary and free-spirited.
Purple symbolises nobility, wisdom and luxury, but can sometimes be considered indulgent and pompous.
Meditate with purple to soothe mind and emotions.
Pink
Tender, loving, innocent, sweet, frivolous, gentle, calming and luxurious.
Pink is pretty and feminine, but overuse can convey fluffiness and irritation.
Add a little pink to perk you up after a disappointment.
Brown
Earthy, dependable, rooted, secure, reliable, conservative, wholesome and honest.
Brown is a grounding, sensible autumnal colour, but can also be considered boring.
Use brown as an earthy contrast with muted yellow, orange or purple.
Silver
Artistic, inspiring, elegant, spiritual, intuitive and graceful.
Silver is feminine, imaginative and illuminating, but can also be moody.
Add a touch of silver to tune into your intuition.
Gold
Charismatic, successful, prosperous, generous and extravagant.
Gold is masculine, dynamic and eye-catching, but can also relate to anxiety, misery and egotism.
Add a touch of gold to inspire abundance and success.
Black
Independent, strong-willed, serious, dignified, cool, sophisticated, intriguing, mysterious.
Black is formal and refined, but too much can be oppressive and pessimistic.
Use black sparingly or with other colours to add depth, elegance and mystery.
White
Peaceful, tolerant, balanced, sensible, pure, wise, hopeful, angelic.
White represents purity, integrity and perfection, but can feel cold, empty and isolating.
Focus on white to bring peace and comfort. Use it to complement other colours.
- Words: Carol Anne Strange
- Illustration: shutterstock.com
- This article is an extract from issue 4 of Teen Breathe Magazine – buy the digital edition here