Colours are beautiful for the eye to see, but they can be more than just nice to look at.
When it comes to seeking a better state of emotional health and wellbeing, there are so many possible avenues to explore both within the bio-medical realm and outside of it with more alternative therapies and techniques. Colour Therapy, also referred to as Chromotherapy is a practice that makes use of colour to promote feelings of wellbeing and help seniors address different areas of their emotional health.
While there is not a great deal of scientific evidence to speak to the direct impacts that colours have upon how seniors feel, it isn’t hard to imagine that interacting with certain colours can create certain feelings, emotions, and outcomes. Most of us already associate certain colours with different feelings; we may find loud, bright, fun colours make us feel one way, and calmer, more subdued shades make us feel something entirely different. This is the basis of colour therapy, that colour itself can have some impact upon how seniors feel as they navigate their day.
The Colours
In colour therapy, the different colours each are each able to help seniors connect to different feelings that can help guide their mood or emotional state.
- Red: Vibrant colours like those in the Red family (ie. Shades of Red and Orange) are meant to stimulate and provide a boost of energy or strength.
- Yellow: This bright, fun colour is often associated with happiness or a positive outlook, but can also help increase concentration.
- Green: The connection that the colour Green has with nature and the outside world taps into a sense of calmness and balance.
- Blue: Another calming colour, shades of blue can help to promote a sense of peace and quiet that seniors can enjoy in the day or as they try to sleep at night.
- White: The clean look of White makes people feel fresh and at ease.
What The Colour Can Do
As is the case with many alternative therapies or ideas related to holistic healing, some people may be more receptive to the effects of colour therapy than others. For those who are interested in the possible outcomes that colour can create, the following is a list of areas that some seniors have found to be improved by interacting with colour in a purposeful way:
- Depression
- Low Energy
- Low Appetite
- Stress and Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Daytime Sleepiness
For any of these issues, among others, that seniors may be facing, there is a wealth of information about which colours are best suited to address concerns and help promote wellbeing. A quick internet search or trip to the library can offer suggestions of what colours are best and how to integrate them seamlessly into seniors’ daily routines to yield a positive outcome.
How to Use Colour in Seniors’ Lives
When it comes to integrating the notions of Colour Therapy into everyday life, there are lots of places that seniors can take advantage of the colour that make them feel how they want to feel every day. First of all, choosing clothes that evoke the feelings that seniors need can be wonderful, and in this way seniors can choose different colours depending on how they want to feel on any given day. Need a boost of energy to get through something? Pick a Red shirt. Want to feel fresh and put together? Go for White. The possibilities are endless and easily adaptable.
Another great way to make use of the power of colour is in the home. Seniors can choose colours for their walls and décor that help them feel the right feelings in any given room. Pick a calming Blue or Green for a bedroom to help promote sleep. Having trouble with appetite? Choose an invigorating Red for the kitchen.
Colour may not seem like the most impactful way to alter someone’s sense of wellbeing, but when it comes to navigating the changes and challenges that come with growing older, every little thing can help. Exploring new colours in different areas of life and determining which ones promote feelings of joy, calm, strength, and happiness can help seniors to find little pockets of good in everyday things that might also have a little impact on how they feel inside.
