The colour in your life

A friend mentioned the other day that she was going to get her “colours” done. Initially I thought perhaps she meant her hair, but it turned out she gets advice on the best colours to wear for both her complexion and her personality and what is going on in her life.

This set me thinking about the importance of colour in our lives and in my research, I have discovered an entire new industry. Colour is one of the most important aspects of so many everyday things - the colour of the font we use on our computers; the colour of our clothes and house of course; colour in letter heads, adverts and on television; the colour of the plants in our garden.

I can’t be the only one who hasn’t really appreciated the importance of colour in our lives and how it can affect us. A good illustration is the colour chosen for funerals. In the UK it is still traditional to wear at least some black or dark coloured clothing and the ambience is subdued and sombre. Compare that with the different attitude many eastern cultures show at funerals, where the event is a celebration of a person’s life and the traditional colour is white.

Fashion of course has great affect on colour – avocado baths are a clear indication of the 1960s and 70s when they were so on trend; I doubt an avocado bath has been fitted anywhere since that era!

In a medical experiment in America, colours have been shown to create a physical reaction; with red causing a definite increase in blood pressure in some of the people taking part in the research.

Colour affects mood of course, something that has been well known for a long time, but it has a number of other meanings that are well recognised among some groups.

I spoke to a colour expert who told me that most colours are symbolic for certain characteristics, for instance:

Gold is a symbol of good health; people wear gold to enhance their health and enjoyment of life.
Red is a symbol of power and passion; people wear red to give them more energy and enthusiasm for life.
Grey is associated with solitude; people wear grey to increase their feeling of security and to assist them in keeping calm.
White is a symbol of kindness and completion; people wear white to help start afresh and to clear their minds.
Green is a symbol of balance; people wear green when they need to accept change or are looking for a sense of order in their lives.
Pink is a symbol of calm; people wear pink to relax and to increase their feeling of self-worth.
Brown is associated with wholesomeness; people wear brown to increase their stability in life and to offset shyness or a lack of confidence.
Blue is the colour of inspiration and spirituality. People wear blue to increase communication and for peace.

The influence of colour in our lives goes on and on. In our speech for instance, where would we be without all those wonderful colourful expressions – moody blue; green with envy; red with rage; white with anger?

The more I find out about colour, the more I realise I haven’t given it enough respect over the years. Here’s to a new colourful future for all of us!!

If in any doubt about any of the information covered in health and nutrition related articles and it's relevance for you, consult your GP.

laterlife interest

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