Since relaxation is found in the definition of cozy, I think it\u2019s fair to say that blue, green, purple, and white are the coziest colors in America at least. <\/strong><\/p>\n Different countries and cultures prefer different colors though, so this is in America. How a color makes us feel depends on gender, age, past experiences, and culture.<\/strong><\/p>\n Related: 10 Warm Cozy Winter Drink Recipes for Kids and Adults<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Color psychology<\/a> is a fascinating subject. There is so much that goes into it, and while studies have shown that there are general color preferences, it\u2019s not “black and white.”<\/p>\n It also depends on a lot of different factors. Gender, age, whether we\u2019re warm or cold, and cultural background are some of them.<\/p>\n Lighting also plays a significant role, since the light can change how we perceive the area around us, and the way colors look.<\/p>\n See Also:\u00a0Best Giant Cozy Chunky Knit Blanket<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n A study done in the United States showed that 35% of Americans prefer blue over any other color. It is followed by green (16%), purple (10%) and red (9%).<\/p>\n That already tells us that blue is a cozy color, right?<\/p>\n People didn\u2019t choose a color that they don\u2019t like or make them uncomfortable, but one that they like because it makes them feel something, relaxed, possibly cozy?<\/p>\n Well, there is more to it than that.<\/p>\n Now, let\u2019s talk a little bit about the psychology of color.<\/p>\n We won\u2019t go too in-depth, but I will try to cover the tip of the research that has been done and theories that have come out of it.<\/p>\n If you want a more in-depth exploration of colors and their meanings, I recommend reading Leatrice Eiseman’s book Color – Messages & Meanings (click to view on Amazon).<\/a><\/p>\n Are you here because you want help with deciding what color to paint a specific room in your home?<\/p>\n If so, why is that? What makes the color matter so much, can’t you just pick your favorite color and be done with it?<\/p>\n Well, it’s because color makes us feel emotions.<\/p>\n You could choose your favorite color and paint every single wall in your house with it, but the fact is that even if one is your favorite.<\/p>\n There might be a better choice for a specific room if you want whoever enters the room to feel a particular emotion.<\/p>\n Colors get their meanings for each person based on several factors \u2014 experience, culture, and context are three of them.<\/p>\n Before all of these happen, evolution and gender also have a say, but we’ll get to that later.<\/p>\n See Also:\u00a010 Unique Cozy Mugs That Will Warm & Brighten All Year Long<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Experiences influence the meaning of a color for each of us. This experience can be either good or bad.<\/p>\n Everything you do and see in life will unknowingly form your opinion of a color.<\/p>\n It can be as simple as working a job you can\u2019t stand in an office with green walls, which will stop you from painting your walls at home green.<\/p>\n What culture you\u2019re in will influence the meaning as well. As I mentioned in the intro, blue is America’s favorite color.<\/p>\n However, in East Asia, blue is seen as a cold color associated with evil and sinister behavior.<\/p>\n So if you travel to a different part of the world, not only will the culture most likely be different, but the meanings of each color will as well.<\/p>\n Context is also important when talking about the meaning of a color.<\/p>\n A bright red flower can be stunning and calming, while a bright red F on a test can have the opposite effect on us.<\/p>\n In what context you see the color, will affect the emotions you feel.<\/p>\n There are so many factors that change how each of us feels about a specific color.<\/p>\n Studies have given us broad meanings and associations of every color though, so let\u2019s see what each color usually is associated with.<\/p>\n Then we\u2019ll go over different factors that probably determined how you felt about color before you were old enough to think on your own.<\/p>\n Remember, the studies done on color psychology that we talk about today are based on western culture.<\/p>\n See Also:\u00a0Best Home Night Light Aurora and Star Projectors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The information below comes from Nick Kolenda\u2019s article about color psychology<\/a>.<\/p>\n Red<\/strong> – Anxiety, Arousing, Daring, Dominant, Energy, Excitement, Health, Life, Love, Passion, Power, Protection, Spirited, Stimulating, Strength, Up-To-Date<\/p>\n Orange<\/strong> – Abundance, Arousing, Comfort, Daring, Excitement, Extraversion, Fun, Happiness, Lively, Security, Sensuality, Spirited, Warmth<\/p>\n Yellow<\/strong> – Arousing, Cheerful, Confidence, Creativity, Excitement, Extraversion, Friendliness, Happiness, Optimism, Self-Esteem, Sincerity, Smiley, Spirited<\/p>\n Green<\/strong> – Calm, Comfort, Equilibrium, Harmony, Health, Hope, Nature, Outdoorsy, Peace, Prosperity, Relaxation, Security, Senerity, Soothing, Tender<\/p>\n Blue<\/strong> – Calm, Comfort, Competence, Coolness, Dignified Duty, Efficiency, Intelligence, Logic, Peace, Reflection, Relaxation, Reliability, Security, Serenity, Soothing, Successful, Tender, Tranquility, Trust<\/p>\n Purple<\/strong> – Authenticity, Charming, Dignified, Exclusive, Luxury, Quality, Regal, Sensuality, Sophistication, Spiritual, Stately, Upper Class<\/p>\n Pink<\/strong> – Charming, Cheerful, Feminine, Gentle, Nurturing, Sincerity, Soft, Sophistication, Tranquility, Warmth<\/p>\n Brown<\/strong> – Nature, Outdoorsy, Reliability, Ruggedness, Security, Support, Tough<\/p>\n Black<\/strong> – Dignified, Efficiency, Elegance, Emotional Safety, Glamour, Power, Richness, Ruggedness, Security, Sophistication, Stately, Substance, Tough, Upper Class<\/p>\n White<\/strong> – Calm, Clarity, Cleanness, Down-to-Earth, Happiness, Heavens, Honest, Hygiene, Innocence, Peace, Purity, Serenity, Sincerity, Soothing, Tender<\/p>\n If you are deciding what color to paint a room because of what emotion you want to feel, the associations above for each color is a very general table to look at.<\/p>\n The reason it\u2019s not as black and white as this is because other factors will play into how you feel about colors.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to remember that colors should be appropriate for where it\u2019s going to be used, and that aesthetics matter more than a study about America’s favorite color.<\/p>\n There are also more components to a color than its name (hue).<\/p>\n Each color has different shades and tints (values), and different levels of saturation (chromas) that changes the brightness and vividness of a color.<\/p>\n When it comes to some additional factors, there are three main theories that researches have proposed have an effect on how we feel, these are:<\/p>\n While it’s not as black and white as some research might make it sound, evolution has a say in our color preferences.<\/p>\n Back in the day when all the color the human knew was what he saw in nature, a certain color was associated with where it was seen and in what context.<\/p>\n A dark shade of blue, for example, was associated with night, since that’s what the sky looked like at night.<\/p>\n The night is when you sleep, so the blue shade was associated with passivity.<\/p>\n During the day it was bright, so the bright yellow from the sun was associated with arousal.<\/p>\n See Also:\u00a0The Easiest Way To Keep Your Home From Losing Expensive Heat<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Gender also made a difference, since women were gatherers. Women gathered red and green fruit which influenced color preferences for future female generations.<\/p>\n While what gender was doing what a long time ago might still affect us, one thing that researchers believe steers color preferences in today\u2019s society are stereotypes.<\/p>\n The stereotypes that often say that boys should be dressed in blue, and girls in pink.<\/p>\n What this does to children is that they become drawn to what society tells them to like.<\/p>\n So boys will like blue, and girls pink. Part of this is due to the third theory.<\/p>\n So based on the two previous theories, how come we all don\u2019t have the same favorite colors?<\/p>\n Is it because one mom dressed their kid in purple and another one in green? That\u2019s where the third theory comes in.<\/p>\n The Ecological Valence Theory is about how emotional experiences throughout our whole lives affect how we feel and see colors.<\/p>\n This is something that\u2019s not set in stone and can change over the years.<\/p>\n It\u2019s related to the second theory above since children have good or bad experiences depending on if they feel like they fit in or not.<\/p>\n See Also:\u00a0Best Freestanding Electric \u201cFake\u201d Fireplace Heaters<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Our brains are connected to all our senses, and what you associate a color with is not only what you see and what emotions you have, but can be a sensory experience in more ways, what you smell, hear, taste, and feel.<\/p>\n There can also be a semantic meaning, words, and places you associate specific colors with.<\/p>\n There is so much going on in our brains behind the scenes, which is why I think color psychology on its own is such an interesting subject.<\/p>\n Full disclosure: Nick Kolenda’s post on color psychology is where most of this information came from.<\/p>\n If you know a lot about this subject and have something to add or correct, please leave a comment and let me know.<\/p>\n Nick\u2019s post can be found here: https:\/\/www.nickkolenda.com\/color-psychology\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Colors make us feel things. Be it cozy, happy, tired, or stressed. Whatever the emotion might be, there are reasons as to why. Today we’re diving into colors. <\/p>\nThe Psychology of Color<\/h2>\n
What Color Makes Us Feel What?<\/h3>\n
![\"different](\"https:\/\/cozyminds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/color-palette-cozy-minds.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Biology\/Evolution<\/h4>\n
Gender Schema Theory<\/h4>\n
Ecological Valence Theory<\/h4>\n