CAN COLOR HEAL? THE ANSWER MAY SURPRISE YOU.

Color isn’t just visual. It’s in our language: “Color me impressed,” and music: “Color my world.” It sparks curiosity: “When you and I see green, do we see the same green?” Some days, we feel blue. Some, we see red. Colors literally and figuratively color our world. But can it also improve physical and mental healing? Let’s explore. 

First, how does color interface with emotions? Sunlight is made up of every color in the rainbow, combining into white light. When it hits a surface, it bounces back only certain colors to the retinas in our eyes, which are covered with millions of light-sensitive rods and cones. These detect light and send a signal via the optic nerve to various parts of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, which sits behind the forehead just above the eyes. The prefrontal cortex links the incoming image with memories and emotions, which is why different colors can make us feel in so many ways.  

For instance, green relaxes us. Blue gives us a feeling of tranquility and yellow links to optimism. But colors are also cultural. Red (this writer’s favorite) represents love and danger in the West but luck and prosperity in some Asian cultures. Color can also evoke nostalgia; for instance, a grandparent may always wear a bright yellow hat, so yellow often brings fond memories and happiness. And you might be more likely to paint the kid’s bathroom a sunny yellow without even a thought.  

But healthcare professionals want to know if that translates into better patient healing outcomes. 

At least one study says yes. The Central European Journal of Medicine conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the effect that colors painted on the walls in patient rooms had on surgery recovery outcomes. They studied 80 randomized patients who recovered in rooms either painted with bright, beautiful colors or in typical, white-walled rooms. They measured their self-reported depression levels and anxiety, along with their physical health through pain scales.  

The results: The reported psychological and physical scores were significantly better in color-decorated rooms, suggesting that color can improve healing and theoretically reduce recovery time. In every category, there was at least a small improvement. Amazing. Of course, this is just one study, and it’s primarily based on anecdotal evidence. But it’s a promising start.  

The other takeaway is to remind ourselves how much our environment impacts our mental and physical well-being writ large. The study points out that frequent interruptions, noise, and bright lights were all components affecting the patient’s anxiety, stress response, and sleep. And that all types of stimuli can make or break patients’ overall experience and health outcomes.  

So, while color is certainly an influence, it’s just one part of the physical makeup. It reinforces that every design decision healthcare designers make has lasting and sometimes profound impacts on our lives. And that’s true all the way down to color choices.  

If you’d like to learn more about color theory and how it impacts the world we live in, check out our Color Theory & Mental Health CEU. We’ll explore the science and psychology behind colors, their practical applications, and how to use color efficiently in indoor spaces. You can request that CEU here.