Psychology of Color

Have you ever noticed how color can shift your mood? Color is all around us. But what is color?  "Color is light and energy." (www.arttherapyblog.com.) I've purposely created this post with many colors for you to see your reaction to the various colors. An example of how color can affect our mood is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which causes some individuals to experience depression in the winter months, when darkness arrives. Or, have you experienced a shift in mood when you look at a rainbow? It is really amazing how color can affect our state of being and it is important to know what colors calm us, excite us, bring us down, etc.  For the exercise below, you can mix colors or use the colors as they are. 

What's YOUR Story?

We all walk around with a story about ourselves and our lives: No one loves me; I'm stupid; I'm ugly; I'll never be happy; I'll always be alone; I'll never have money. What's the story you walk around with inside of you? Do any of these stories sound familiar?  Have you ever thought of challenging that story? What about creating a new story? You can begin by creating a collage, a drawing, a clay image that represents a new story. This doesnt' mean you write a story that is out of reach such as I'm the wealthy person in the world...though it depends on how you define wealthy.  But, a story that is built on trust. A story that is filled with love and acceptance and a belief that I will be OK.

KINDNESS PLEDGE

Today, ________________, I _____________________promise to speak to myself with kindness, trust, acceptance and unconditional love.  I realize the healthiest relationship I can have is with myself. I refuse to beat myself up or doubt myself.  I will move through the day and night with the knowledge that I am whole and complete and where I am supposed to be. I will stay in the moment.  I will not compare myself to others or "should" on myself. If something is not working in my life, I will take steps to make changes and ask for help. My internal dialogue will be supportive and loving. I will not criticize or put myself down under any condition. I will love myself as if I were my own child.