Monsoon gloom: Let some colour pop and break your monotony

Going red with anger because of #WorkFromHome, or facing Monday blues, every day, due to the absence of rain? Here’s how you can decode colours to enhance your mood.

It’s no secret that the colours around us have an impact on us. Even researches have shown that colours affect our mood, behaviour and stress levels. So if the monsoon is making you feel gloomy, surround yourself with vibrant hues and drive away the blues!

“In spite of the lockdown having been lifted, because of the pandemic and social isolation, our mental psyche is still in a box... a dash of orange colour can instantly make you cheerful, and yellow can help you calm down.”
– Dr Anju Sharma, psychiatrist , sound and energy master

“In spite of the lockdown having been lifted, because of the pandemic and social isolation, our mental psyche is still in a box,” says Dr Anju Sharma, a Delhi-based psychiatrist, sound and energy master, adding that colours can enhance certain qualities in our personality. “For instance, a dash of orange in your closet can instantly make you cheerful, owing to its brightness. Same goes for yellow, which helps to calm one down in case anger is making you feel overwhelmed,” adds Dr Sharma.

Children, who have been suddenly forced to stay indoors and turn, completely, to online mediums of entertainment, may also feel nervous. And some might be unable to even express their resentment. Dr Sharma suggests using the properties of blue in such cases, and adds, “For kids, implement the colour of sky, i.e. Blue in their environment. It makes them feel expressive, and balances hyperactivity. For most people, this colour can be very effective to help ward off insomnia as it promotes a deep relaxing sleep.”

Even the sight of flowers makes most of us happy because colours impact our sense of happiness, too. “Most houses that look welcoming have flowers or greenery around them,” says Dr Shallu Gupta, a Delhi-based naturopath and colour therapist, adding, “For a positive vibe in your home, hang flower pots preferably with warm pink flowers. The colour pink is said to be the colour of relaxation. If sourcing real flowers is too much of an effort, replace them with artificial ones. It’s the colour that matters!”

“Each sun sign has a colour associated with it. Figuring out that colour and implementing it in daily life, whether it’s in the clothes we wear or the colour of our bedsheet and curtains, can have a deep impact.”
— Acharya Dr Vinod Kumar,
vastu expert

And for those wanting to meditate better, violet is your colour. Violet also promotes peace and channels creativity. “Each sun sign has a colour associated with it. Figuring out that colour and implementing it in daily life, whether it’s in the clothes we wear or the colour of our bedsheet and curtains, can have a deep impact,” says Acharya Dr Vinod Kumar, a Delhi-based vastu expert. “White is the colour of peace, so if nothing works then having white around will relax your mind and pull you out of a negative headspace,” opines Kumar.

Somya Agarwal, an interior designer based in Hauz Khas, lays emphasis on the importance of art and natural light in living spaces. She says, “If you stay in a dingy, dark space, it’s bound to affect your mood. Allow natural light to come in through windows, for a few hours every day. Also, include art in your homes to bring vibrancy to any mute space. Paintings, as per one’s taste and colour preference, can be a mood booster.”