Navratri 2022: Impact Of The Nine Navratri Colours: Can It Affect Your Mental Wellbeing?

Do Colours Have Psychological Benefits?

There's no doubt that colour is a powerful communication tool. It can signal action, affect mood, and even affect physiological reactions.

The concept of colour psychology has become a hot topic in marketing, art, and design despite a lack of research. While much of the evidence in colour psychology is anecdotal at best, experts and researchers have made a few important observations and discoveries about how colour affects moods, feelings, and behaviours [1].

White, for instance, represents purity and innocence in many Western countries but mourning in many Eastern ones. Despite the subjective nature of colour perception, some colour effects have universal significance.

Among the red colours on the colour spectrum, there are red, orange, and yellow. These warm colours can evoke many emotions, ranging from warmth and comfort to anger and hostility [2].

The blue side of the spectrum is known as a cool colour and includes blues, purples, and greens. They are often described as calm but can also evoke feelings of sadness or indifference [3].

Does The Nine Navratri Colours Have Any Positive Impact On Mental Health?

Take a look at how different colours can affect one's mental health and well-being.

Day 1 - white: White has a lot of meanings and associations, but they vary based on the person and the culture they live in. In addition to purity, innocence, cleanliness, blankness, coldness, emptiness, simplicity, and minimalism, white is often associated with other things. White also tops the list for evoking quiet and concentration [4].

If white is your favourite colour, you might prefer colours that evoke calmness or simplicity. Or it might just mean you form positive associations with it [5].

Day 2 - red: Red is the most powerful colour in colour psychology. While red is associated with danger and warning, it is also associated with excitement, energy, passion, and desire [6].

Day 3 - royal blue: With blue, you'll feel calm, calm, peaceful, and calm-hearted, and it'll help with anxiety and aggression. In addition, the constant large bodies of blue in our lives - the ocean and the sky - reinforce that blue is trustworthy, loyal and dependable [7].

Day 4 - yellow: It's probably no wonder that yellow evokes such strong feelings because it's bright and intense. Yellow stimulates the left side of the brain, which is where rational thinking happens, according to Colour Psychology. Bright, sunny, and warm, yellow is a powerful colour that sparks your creativity and encourages new ideas. So use yellow to boost alertness and inspiration [8].

Day 5 - green: The colour green stimulates a balance in your brain, which encourages decisiveness. From a mental health perspective, green is positive for thinking, relationships, and physical health. Still, it can also be viewed negatively when associated with materialism, envy, and possessiveness [9].

Day 6 - grey: The meaning of grey in colour psychology is neutrality and balance. It's the shade between white and black. However, grey has negative connotations, especially depression and loss [10].

Day 7 - orange: The colour orange is often described as an energetic colour. It may evoke feelings of enthusiasm and excitement. The colour orange enhances the feeling of vitality and happiness [11].

Day 8 - peacock green: As the shade peacock green is visually similar to that of the colour green, the ways it impacts the aesthetic or mental well-being fall in similar lines.

Day 9 - pink: Pink is considered to be a calming colour associated with love, kindness, and femininity. The calming effect of pink is understood, but colour psychologists have found that this effect only occurs during the first exposure to the colour [12].

While the idea behind the nine navratri colours may not be entirely rooted in the mental health and wellbeing perspective, the whole idea of dressing up and gathering as a community for festivities is a way to encourage community togetherness as well as to ignite happiness in the minds of everyone celebrating [13].

The idea of wearing different coloured clothing each day can positively impact one's mental health [14][15].

[image source: gurajtourism]

On A Final Note…

There is no doubt that fashion has an impact on our mental state. Cuts, colours, and patterns have been shown to improve moods, as clothes are associated with specific roles. Moreover, studies have shown that routine dressing rituals can help people to ward off anxiety and depression-related thoughts.

Researchers have found that your clothing can affect your perception of yourself in a way that enhances your performance, which could improve your mental health and well-being.