Sunshine & Warmth: The Psychology of the Color Yellow
Close your eyes and think of the feeling you get under the warm, glowing sun. Imagine yourself walking through a field of sprawling, golden sunflowers. Think about the emotions that come over you when squeezing a juicy, bright yellow lemon into a crisp glass of water.
Pretty positive vibes, right?
Yellow: At Its Core
That’s because yellow, like every color, has its own personality and energy, and it affects our own mood in multiple ways. Learning more about color psychology can help you fine-tune your environment, choosing to surround yourself with a specific hue to shift your mood. Color psychology suggests that each color of the rainbow promotes a different vibration, shifting the energy around it. This might explain why you are inexplicably drawn towards a certain color—it may possess vibrations that naturally penetrate and heal your energy.
Have you ever noticed that your mood seems to brighten up when surrounded by shades of golden yellow?
Yellow is a color found often in nature, and it happens to be one of the most positive colors that exist. Let’s explore the psychology of the color yellow!
The Meanings of the Color Yellow
Yellow is a primary color that comes in many shades, from bright canary to subtle honey. This color is an attention grabber at its core, with a bright personality that can bring a smile to anyone’s face. Yellow has even caught the attention of many bands and musicians, with songs like Mellow Yellow, by Donovan, and Yellow, by Coldplay:
“Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything that you do. Yeah, they were all yellow.”
Even famous artist, Vincent Van Gogh, expressed his love for this color, saying, “How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the sun.”
Shining Brightly
On the spectrum of colors, yellow shines the brightest. In fact, this color is the most distinct and eye-catching to the human eye. Think of the blazing sun, so bright that we can’t even observe it with the naked eye. Yellow radiates energy like no other color, which might explain why it seems to boost our moods so instantaneously.
Positive Vibrations
Yellow is associated with happiness, joy, positive energy, and excitement. If you ever feel sad or blue, simply combat that energy with the positive vibrations of shades like bumblebee and lemon. Surrounding yourself with yellow will infuse your body with optimism and joy.
Confidence & Creativity
This color connects to the Solar Plexus chakra, the chakra that regulates confidence and creativity. Spending time in the presence of yellow will not only send healing energy to your Solar Plexus, but it will also work to increase your self-esteem and promote motivation. If you ever feel like you’re stuck in a creative rut, simply grab your yellow supplies—paints, markers, pens—and go to town. Paint a picture of a shining sun or a field of daffodils to encourage the creativity to flow.
Read This Next: Violet Vibrations: The Ultimate Guide to the Color Purple
Increased Perception
Yellow is said to trigger the left side of the brain, which is associated with perception and depth of thought. This means that spending time in the company of this color can clear negative thoughts and encourage you to approach challenges from a different point of view. Yellow promotes mental clarity and objectivity.
Warm & Friendly Vibes
Because yellow is such a cheerful color, it can actually make you feel warmer and more sociable. This may also relate to the confidence boost that shades like banana seem to encourage. While colors like blue encourage peace and tranquility, yellow seems to amplify our social, chatty sides.
This is a great color to work with anytime you have social anxiety or feel nervous about an upcoming meeting. Are you looking forward to a date that sends butterflies fluttering through your stomach? Try practicing a visual meditation, focusing on shades of yellow. Breathe in deeply and imagine golden sunlight flowing throughout your body to help you feel more confident and friendly.
Energetic Drive
Yellow tends to boost energy and help you feel more motivated. Surrounding yourself with this color can amplify feelings of ambition and drive.
There can be downsides to its energetic personality, however. It is said that people are more likely to become frustrated or angry when they’re in a yellow room or environment.
Complex & Deep
Yellow can have different effects on different people. While some people seem to brighten up and feel more cheerful in its presence, there are others who find this color grating or irritating. This is only natural, as every color seems to affect certain people in a variety of ways. So, if you aren’t naturally drawn to this color, don’t force yourself to try to vibe with it! It’s perfectly fine to prefer different hues.
Soaking up the Sunshine!
While yellow may not be the go-to color for everyone, it’s fun to experiment with different colors and determine which ones suit your mood. Spend some time around juicy, pineapple shades of yellow to see if this color brings joy and positivity for you!
Related Article: Cerulean Senses: The Psychology of the Color Blue
