5 Simple Ways to Brighten Your Day
Photo by *Micky.
Oh Canada. I’m not going to complain about the weather (remember the “Think Different Challenge“), but it certainly does rain a lot here in Vancouver during winter. It probably doesn’t help that I am often reminded of summer by my friends and family in Australia.
I find that one of the best ways to chase away the winter blues is to add a splash of colour to my day. By seeing colours as having symbolic significance, and it is easy to pick one (or more!) that resonates with my mood and goals for the day. The following are some popular colours and the common connotations attached to them:
- Red: courage and passion.
- Yellow: sunlight and optimism.
- Blue: openness and calm.
- Green: tranquility and balance.
- Purple: creativity and mystery.
- Pink: gratitude and love.
- Orange: energy and warmth.
So with this in mind, the following are 5 simple ways we can all brighten our day by adding a splash of colour:
1. Wear something bright: choosing to wear something bright, such as a colourful shirt, is one easy way to add a bit of zing to your day. Even in a conservative work environment there is nothing to stop you wearing a colourful tie or necklace.
2. Eat colourful foods: eating is a sensory experience that is as much about sight as it is smell and taste. Personally I love to start my day with a variety of colourful fruits, which often include banana, orange, pineapple and berries (on my granola…. yum!). And in the evening, my meal doesn’t seem quite right unless there are certain colours (eg green) on my plate. And in addition to having great visual appeal, a colourful diet is also extremely healthy for you:
The more colourful your diet, the more antioxidants you get. These compounds reduce overall cellular damage and prevent the hardening of the arteries that can lead to heart disease, stroke, even memory loss.
3. Add a splash of colour to your home: adding some new hues around your home is an easy way to make each day a little bit brighter. Some ideas include setting a fresh bowl of fruit on your kitchen counter or dining table, buying some new colourful sheets or towels, and to hang some vibrant pieces of art on your wall. For more ideas see this wonderful article: 50 Ways to Bring Colour Into Your Home.
4. Buy some flowers: there is something about fresh flowers that make an environment come alive. In fact, scientific research shows that flowers have a beneficial impact on state of mind and emotions:
Rutgers University behavioural studies have proven that flowers provide a simple way to improve emotional health – that the presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behaviour in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed.
5. Decorate your office: if you work in an office or cubicle, I suggest you ensure it has some colour. Some quick and easy ways to do this are to display some photos, buy a small plant, have a colourful calendar or change your boring desktop to something fun and vibrant.
Do you have any simple ways you like to add a splash of colour to your day?
16 Comments
January 14th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
o man, i am sitting here in my black shirt, black pants working on my grey laptop….OOPS! Great points with colors Peter….I recently re-decorated my apartment with the sole purpose to add more colors….thanks,
Todd
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January 14th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Amen to that! I live in the Southwest U. S. now, so we have plenty of sunshine, but when we lived in the dismal Northeast I decorated my apartment and office with bright nature pictures and wore bright colors. It does make a difference. The funny thing is when I think of those days my mental images are always of bright sunny days.
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January 15th, 2008 at 3:16 am
Your right on key Peter, it is so important to add color to your life. I have really taken the pleasure in “SEEING” the colors of our lives in nature. I have been taking photo’s around my yard for the past couple years and it is unbelievable how many amazing colors and images are there for us if we choose to “SEE”. I even started another blog just to celebrate the outdoors and how much I have enjoyed it over my life.
http://living4outdoors.com/living-4-outdoors-debut
I also think that your statement on eating a wealth of color is extremely important. I have written several articles on the exact same subject.
http://juiceofchampions.com/ho.....n-of-youth
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January 15th, 2008 at 5:57 am
On the whether: I love the rain! I visited Vancouver and was in Seattle over the holidays and it was raining just about every day…I loved it!
On decorating the office: I recently moved into my new office. I spent this weekend decorating it…today was my first day back in there with the new look and I have to testify to the fact that a little decoration goes a long way! Heck I was so darn pumped up it was awesome!
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January 15th, 2008 at 6:35 am
Hey Peter, how about flashing a big bright smile? What starts from the inner does wonders to the outer! Great article!
Cheers,
Ellesse
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January 15th, 2008 at 10:34 am
This is such an inspirational post, Peter. So much so, in fact, that I’ve made rainbow colours the theme of the day for my new Tumblr blog. Putting together today’s selection of clips, images, quotes, links etc. has certainly brightened my day! And considering the awful weather we’ve been getting here in Scotland, that’s no mean feat. Thank you
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January 15th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Lol. I know!
But really, when you’re motivated about where you’re working…well, sometimes you stand up when you speak. So you’re on the phone walking around with all of this positive energy and it carries on to the person listening on the other line! And that’s what productive days are all about!
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January 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
A very good article there Peter.
Thanks for your efforts on your blog. Keep up the good work.
How did you change to be able to wake up so early? I am trying to do the same.
Roger
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January 22nd, 2008 at 10:27 am
Same as Todd, I’m stuck with black and white but now I’m like a rainbow shining though without rain. I do wear clothes and colors depending on my mood for it made me look younger and approachable. And in my office, I brought frames in pink and green rather than the silver one. It looked youthful and vibrant. Everyone notice my sudden change and their always in an awe to the things I buy. Hopefully, I can influence them and made our office a happy working place.
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