Use Different Color Lighting To Bring Out Your Best Self September 23, 2016 00:00

What if you could change your mood with the tap of a button? What if energy and motivation were just the flip of a switch away?

You may be thinking this all sounds like work of science fiction, and a decade ago you’d have been right. But modern life is seeing all sorts of benefits once thought to be impossible thanks to rapidly advancing technology and innovation. And controlling your mood and motivation is now as easy as turning on the right colored light.

What’s the “Right” Lighting?

You may have noticed a surge in news related to the effects of light on our everyday health. From avoiding blue light before bed to the development of light-based therapies to treat disorders, it seems like every day we’re discovering just how intricately our bodies are tied to illumination.

One such discovery gaining foothold in the scientific community is that different colors of light will have physiological and psychological effects on the human brain, with results ranging from feeling energetic, calm, focused, to even less depressed.

And these findings couldn’t have come at a better time. Smart lighting has seen some exciting developments recently but, coupled with these health benefits, color-changing smart bulbs are more beneficial than ever. With an enormous variety of hues to choose from, and the ability to switch between thousands of different colors right from your smart device, you’ve never had this much control over how you feel.

Check out how to use smart lighting to get started on a technicolor journey to a better you!

Energizing blue

A wealth of studies have been conducted on which types of light kept test subjects focused the longest and most have come to the conclusion that the clear winner is blue light. In one study in particular, a group of hamsters living in an environment lit entirely by blue light were shown to have the most disrupted circadian rhythm (the body’s natural clock). In other words, they couldn’t sleep.

While the implications are that brain cells are more sensitive to blue light than other colors, the applications of this knowledge are quite powerful. Businesses across the world are already considering investing in blue smart lighting to help increase employee efficiency and focus. What this means for you though is the next time you need to get some work done around the house, switch your smart bulb over to blue and for a potential boost in creativity.

Relaxing...red?

That’s right, contrary to popular belief surrounding yourself in red is actually calming for the nerves. Red’s gotten a bad rap for inciting particularly impassioned emotions in individuals, and while the basis for this association (blood, lust, red in the face with anger) may have been around for years, studies have shown that spending time in a red lit room will likely relax you more than any other color.

In the same experiment mentioned above, hamsters were also subjected to red light for a prolonged period. These hamsters showed significantly reduced disruptions to sleep patterns and mood disorders compared to the other colors. The takeaway from all this? Don’t let red’s bad reputation stop you from taking advantage of its calming effects after a hard day at work.

Healing white

You might be thinking, “if I could change my lights to any color at all, why would I pick plain old white light?”. And true, with thousands of colors to choose from with your smart bulbs it’s hard to imagine you’d ever want to go back to basic white.

But, as boring as it might look at first, white light can have a pretty powerful effect on certain ailments. You may have heard of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) for instance, a condition that makes those affected  depressed during the winter months.

Did you know though that SAD affects half a million people every year? And did you know that white light therapy is the leading treatment for the disorder, proving effective in up to 85% of diagnosed cases? While the white light must be at least a certain level of brightness to be a certified treatment, it’s clear that white light isn’t as dull as you may have thought.

Pacifying pink

The quieting effects of pink on the mind might be the most documented and reported on of all the psychological characteristics of colors. From the incredibly popular Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter to the numerous accounts of using pink rooms to both calm tantrum-throwing juveniles in probation centers and ease opposing football teams into a relaxed stupor, the power of pink is being utilized for an enormous range of purposes.

The psychology behind this one might be a bit more complex, probably having to do with an interplay of both the physical calming effects of red as well as the innocence implicit in the color reinforced by pop culture. What really matters here is it works, so put pink to use!

Gentle green

The effects of green aren’t as well documented as the other colors but evidence showing that green is in fact the easiest color on the eyes is based more in physical science than most. The hard facts come from the physical makeup of our eyes. Inside each of our eyeballs are millions of cones and rods that help us detect color, which are broken down into three different specialized color categories: blue, green, and red.

Whereas the blue cones primarily only pick up blue light, the green and red tend to overlap a bit, picking up a large range of colors from red to green. When this overlap is taken into account, the majority of the cones that are found in the eye will detect green over red. That means that our eyes are hardwired to see green easier than any other color, making it the color that creates the least amount of eye strain.

So if you’re sitting down to a good book and want to keep your eyes as relaxed as possible, switch your smart light over to a soft,  soothing green.

Tell us what you think

Know of any other colors that can help bring out your best? Have you tried lighting your home with any of these and if so, how did it turn out? Let us know in the comments below and check out the Flux Smart Bluetooth LED and Flux Smart WiFi LED Light Bulb to add some color to your life!