How Colors Affect Mood (Feeling Down to Better)

Every second of the day, you look around and notice that the world is filled with vibrant colors. But have you ever thought about how each of those colors affects you as an introvert?

Dictionaries describe a color as the quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object, usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light; saturation or chroma or the natural appearance of the skin, especially of the face; complexion.

Most colors affect your choices, and that’s the main reason why we buy certain things. Each color has a purpose and taps into emotions, from the calming influence of blue skies and green fields to the saliva-inducing red and yellow of fast-food chains. 

How to measure color effects on introverts

You may have never thought much about the impact of colors on introverts. Still, you experience various emotions due to the colors in your surroundings. Your thoughts on colors can also change depending on your introverted personality. There are no simple solutions, but conclusions may be made from years of research on how people tend to perceive specific colors.

Our emotional connection to color is much deeper than we are aware of. We are often unconsciously intimidated by black uniforms, creativity is commonly sparked in green rooms, and wearing red inspires confidence and empowerment. The power of color influences how we think, feel, and behave and how our brains have evolved to respond to them unconsciously, from our appetite to productivity.

Colors can significantly affect how we feel and how other people treat us. Researchers Keith Jacobs and Frank Hustmyer found in 1974 that colors can even change our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.

Bright colors are ingrained into our brains to persuade us to pay attention to them. That is why knowing how to use colors is powerful. Some color interpretations are imprinted in our brains since they’re everywhere, like red being connected with fire and warmth or green with nature.

The Meaning of Colors

For some introverted individuals, how colors are perceived is a matter of personal preference. Yet, there are specific colors that are widely recognized to be linked with particular objects all over the world.

A single color can have several meanings and interpretations for different individuals, depending on where in the world they are located. Let’s take a deeper dive into the meanings of colors.

Red	Excitement, Strength, Love, Energy
Orange	Confidence, Success, Bravery, Sociability
Yellow	Creativity, Happiness, Warmth, Cheer
Green	Nature, Healing, Freshness, Quality
Blue	Trust, Peace, Loyalty, Competence
Pink	Compassion, Sincerity, Sophistication, Sweet
Purple	Royalty, Luxury, Spirituality, Ambition
Brown	Dependable, Rugged, Trustworthy, Simple
Black	Formality, Dramatic, Sophistication, Security
White	Clean, Simplicity, Innocence, Honest

• Red symbolizes passion, love, and energy. Red wakes us up and makes us want to do something. It can also give people who are shy or lack willpower more confidence. 
• Orange has the heat and warmth of red and the fun and happiness of yellow. Orange can make you feel brave, excited, refreshed, and full of life. It can also wake you up, especially by making you want to eat.
• Yellow is the color of happy faces, sunflowers, and the sun. It’s a warm, cheerful color that makes people feel comfortable and playful, which lifts their spirits. It’s a happy, young color that makes you feel good and brings hope, happiness, and fun.
• Green is always associated with nature because it is the color of grass, plants, and trees. It also represents growth and renewal because it is the color of spring and new life. However, too much green can lead to feelings of envy, greed, jealousy, and selfishness.
• Blue is a calm and peaceful color that stands for intelligence and duty. It is sincere, quiet, and reserved, but it makes you think about wisdom and higher goals. It makes you feel more relaxed and less anxious, slows your heart rate, and makes you less hungry. 
• Pink makes people think of little girls, cotton candy, and brightly colored bubble gum in the modern world. Pink is a sign of femininity, romance, tenderness, and sensitivity. It has a natural sweetness, cuteness, and charm and an easy way to say “this is for women” in a short amount of time.
• Purple is a cool and warm color that brings together the passion and energy of red and the calm and peace of blue. People drawn to the purple are usually sensitive, compassionate, understanding, and supportive, thinking of others before themselves. Purple is a prestigious and expensive color because it is linked to royalty.
• Brown is a natural color that reminds us of the earth. Because of this, it makes us feel stable and supported. Because brown is connected to the world and nature, it makes you think of farming, gardening, and other outdoor activities. It’s friendly and warm, and it’s also helpful and reliable. It can also mean old-fashioned and well-established.
• Black is a color that can be used in many ways and is probably the most common in graphic design. It’s bold, strong, and mysterious, which is why modern brands love it. When branding and marketing, black is usually associated with being exclusive, powerful, and elegant.
• If one knows the science, white light is made up of all the rainbow colors. But to the naked eye, white is the opposite: it has no color. In Western cultures, white is often a sign of purity, like when brides wear white on their wedding day. In some East Asian countries, however, white is the color of death.

Final Thoughts

Color is not just about what we can see. We associate particular tastes, smells, and sounds with specific colors in our minds. The emotional and physical effects of color on behavior are more substantial the more you stay the same.

If you choose your colors well, they can make a big difference. Color can affect how memorable something is, how people pay attention, how they feel, and even how their bodies work and perform. Remember that these effects can be different in different places and cultures.

As an introvert, you can think about colors in different ways. You can choose a color based on how you feel right now, or you can choose a color based on how you want to feel.