TikTok trends come and go, but one craze that has been amplified by the popular video app is that of coloured lighting. We’re talking LED strip lighting, lava lamps and those ultra-cool neon signs that are filling your Instagram feeds lately.
Not only do these coloured lighting fixtures provide a great background for your selfies (and ultimately up your social media game tenfold), but coloured lighting also actually has a much more beneficial effect on your overall wellbeing.
It also helps you focus, so if you’re struggling to keep your head in the game, why not try coloured lighting? You should also really check out The Focus Capsules, too.
Amazingly, colours can affect mood, so rather than just being a trendy interior design feature, the coloured lighting you install in your home is actually pretty influential, from the type (and colour) of light you wake up to, to the coloured lighting you surround yourself with when you’re falling asleep.
How colours affect mood and what is chromotherapy?
Different colours evoke different sensations, feelings, and thoughts, and this is used in Chromotherapy (which is the fancy name for colour therapy). Not to be confused with Light Therapy, though.
Chromotherapy shows that colours and light can be used to treat physical ailments. Studies have proven that Chromotherapy is hugely effective, especially when treating mood disorders. A 2015 study by the American Research Journal of Pharmacy found that Chromotherapy had a tremendously positive impact when treating stress with the colour yellow, and equally as impressive results when treating migraines with the colour blue.
To get a better idea of how this works, let’s look at which colours evoke which emotions, shall we?
- Red
Red is universally recognised as one of two things: the colour of love, or the colour of danger. When it comes to Chromotherapy, though, the colour red is both a libido booster, and a hue that affects a person’s sense of smell. Red light benefits include healing promotion, spiritual healing and an uplift in energy.
- Yellow
Yellow is heavily used in Chromotherapy as this is a mood boosting colour. The colour yellow evokes feelings of happiness and joy and is often referred to as a ‘depression killer’.
- Blue
Blue is the bringer of peace, tranquillity and feelings of calmness. The colour blue is used a lot Chromotherapy, and is especially effective when used at night, to assist in falling asleep. Blue light benefits include a reduction in nerves, migraine management, stress reduction and pain management.
- Green
The colour green is synonymous with nature, bringing feelings of strength. This colour is often used in Chromotherapy to encourage a person to ground themselves and feel at peace with their surroundings.
- Purple
Similar to blue hues, the colour purple is calming. Also used during Chromotherapy to bring a sense of calmness to the person, if you’re struggling to fall asleep, set your coloured lights to purple.
- Orange
Orange is the colour of creativity. If you’re struggling to get your creative juices flowing, set your coloured lighting to orange.
When should you incorporate coloured lighting?
The short answer? Whenever you want.
One of the best (and most effective ways) to incorporate coloured lighting into your day is at the start, when you wake up, and at the end, when you go to sleep.
What coloured light is best for waking up?
Yellow is the go-to when it comes to the best coloured light to wake up to. If you don’t get a lot of sunlight in your room, filling your room with yellow accessories, yellow coloured lights or even a nifty sunrise lamp (which quite literally, mimic the gradual rising of the sun) are the way to go.
Sunrise lamps are especially neat as they sync with your circadian rhythm. Sounds pretty technical, right?
Your circadian rhythms basically refer to a set of bodily processes (whether that be physical, mental or behavioural… such as sleep) that follow a set cycle of twenty-four hours. These respond to light, which is why elements such as sunrise lamps are a great way to improve the wake-up process (aka, one of our circadian rhythms).
What coloured light is best for sleep?
Staying on the theme of circadian rhythms, the best coloured light for sleep is blue. Closely followed by purple.
This is because these are typically dark in hue, and promote feelings of calmness and tranquillity. Setting your coloured lights to these colours before it’s time for sleep signal to your body that it’s time to relax.
Innermost's favourite coloured lighting options
Realistically, we can’t see many downsides to incorporating coloured lighting into your life. So, we’ve gone ahead and rounded up some of our favourite coloured lighting options.
- Lava lamps
If you’re already the proud owner of a mesmerising lava lamp, it’s time to climb up into the attic and dig out your lava lamp from the good old days. If not, check out this classic lava lamp, or go a little bit more retro and grab yourself a magma lava lamp. Fancy.
- LED strip lights
Simple to install, affordable and great for adding a touch of to your space, LED strip lights are a great way to incorporate chromotherapy into your everyday life. We love using them behind furniture such as the TV or bed to create a subtle colour glow that emanates and oozes into the room, but you can install these however you like.
- Sunrise lights
Great for those that struggle with that dreaded AM alarm, sunrise lights bring a natural light source into your room without running the risk of that awful 5am blinding wake-up in the middle of summer. Sunrise lamps are stylish and can be synced up with your alarm clock in many cases, to create a pleasant wake-up experience. Who doesn’t want that?
Summary
All in all, not only are coloured lights a pretty funky addition to your home, they’re great for your overall health, too. Whilst we’re not massive fans of fad trends here at Innermost, we’re definitely going to get on board with this one. Thanks, TikTok.
References
- Chromo therapy- An Effective Treatment Option or Just a Myth?? Critical Analysis on the Effectiveness of Chromo therapy. Click here.
