Hue Cares: What the Color Blue Can Do for You

All sorts of outside factors can affect your mood and behavior—even the colors around you. Seeing the color red can energize you. Yellow can make you happy. And blue can impact you in all sorts of ways, depending on your personal and cultural associations with it. Learn what the color blue can do for you if you incorporate it into your day.

It Can Calm You Down

The most common reaction to blue is a soothing sensation. This relates to the predominance of blue in nature. Blue skies, the ocean, and twilight are all overwhelming but positive reminders of our place in the world. Blue can help put things into perspective, regulate your heartbeat, and slow your breathing.

It Can Be Your New Neutral

For several years, light blue and gray shades have been edging out variations of white on walls. Interior designers recommend them for almost every aesthetic. But now, the blues are taking over as a trend in furniture and art, too. Use rich, deep blues for more traditional interiors, and light blues for more casual, breezy spaces.

It Can Help You Lose Weight

Really? Well, maybe. Some weight loss plans recommend eating off a navy blue plate so your portions of light food (pasta, potatoes) will look larger. It can also be unappetizing because there are so few blue foods in nature. Unless you’re talking about blueberries or plums, blue foods probably indicate spoilage or even poison.

It Can Inspire Trust

Companies with long-term, proven, steady profits are called blue-chip stocks for investors. It’s fitting, since we often associate blue with stability and dependability. It’s no mistake that so many large corporations incorporate blue into their logos: Ford, General Electric, AT&T, IBM, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Sears, Lowe’s, United, and more.

It Can Protect You

In the Greek tradition, the color blue can ward off “the evil eye”—curses from others. You might see blue glass iterations of the evil eye in jewelry, décor, and good-luck talismans. In Chinese culture, people often use blue to decorate homes because it represents healing, harmony, and long life.

It Can Make You Sad

If you’re already feeling melancholy, you might want to steer clear of these cool shades. What the color blue can do for you isn’t always positive. Picasso’s Blue Period? Total downer. Singing the blues? Don’t count on a happy ending. We often perceive blue as cold, aloof, and sad, so if you’re moody, your best bet is to look for a healthy dose of yellow—pronto.