Recently I’ve stumbled across a very interesting therapy used amongst children and adults using, very simply, color.
Kids have a very immense connection to color. Have you ever seen a toy manufacturer succeed with making black and white toys? On the ladder side, advertisers are far too aware of how children respond to the brightness of color and they exploit it too often.
color everywhere!
Colors are certain wavelengths of electro-magnetic energy seen through our eyes. The color we see is the part of the visible spectrum that is reflected back by a certain object. But there’s something deeper to the color wheel: the use of color to heal emotionally and psychologically. According to many color therapists around the world, kids respond remarkably well to color therapy because it’s so gentle and non-invasive. Here are some benefits from the proper usage of a few colors. Could color therapy be the answer to your child’s lack of sleep or feelings of depression? Could color therapy even help you?
BLUE: Blue is one of the best ways to induce sleep and produce feelings of cool and calm. Try putting your child in blue pajamas or making the curtains of the bedroom a warm, deep blue. Even more powerful than clothing would be to, safely, drape a blue scarf over a lamp or using a blue light bulb to help induce a restful night’s sleep.
PINK: You’ll rarely find yourself in a baby store where the color of the clothing is anything other than pastel pink, pastel blue, or anything pastel for that matter. Pink is said to be a bonding color, as it’s the color of the heart. So if you’re having a hard time bonding with your baby, surround it (and yourself) with more of this delicate rose color.
GREEN (and ORANGE): Greens are colors of harmony. Apple-green is uplifting and harmonizing at the same time. There is evidence to support the idea that an absence of nature and greenery makes people depressed. Green is a color of youthfulness and balance. Orange is very youthful also, but more active and energizing. It helps someone literally jump with joy. Orange has also been known to be an anti-depressant. Any clothes, furnishings, interior décor with these colors are cheerful.
RED: this color is, besides being a primary, one of the most scientifically researched color to date. Red is a very strong, fiery color that when worn, exudes confidence. As some studies of red have been “blind”, there is ample evidence to conclude that our reactions to this color are primal and unconscious. One study showed that goal-keepers felt much safer saving penalties from soccer players wearing white shirts than red. If your child is ever being bullied in school, try suggesting they wear some visible red on them so as to increase the courage to defend themselves. However, if your kid cries often or is hyper or expresses anger from wearing too much red, switch to cooler colors such as greens and blues.
YELLOW: If you have a child that has trouble focusing on homework, this color has been known to increase concentration when studying. Try covering the table that they study on with a yellow cloth. Interestingly, yellow makes kids feel bright and sunny (go figure) and curious about learning about the world. You’ll find many academics saying that yellow is their favorite color. Don’t paint their room yellow, though. It can cause disorientation.
TURQUOISE: A very magical and creative color, this color helps with children who are too vulnerable to express their feelings. An all around beautiful color to surround a child with, it’s playful and soothing at the same time. This is a fantastic color to put in a play room or even the bedroom to inspire art and creativity.
Additionally to color therapy, more color to your child’s diet, the better! Color is life enhancing, so try to use as many as possible to inspire and heal.
