Thrilling Color: Blue

Did you know that there is a color that can relieve stress? It is the color of the sea, the color of the bright sky on a shimmering summer day. It’s blue! The color blue has a natural power to make people feel relaxed and calm.

Interestingly, while blue is a popular color today, in the past it was not. Why? Well, because it wasn’t seen much. With the exception of the blue sea and sky, blue was not seen in everyday life until the 12th century (except in Egyptian culture).

Then, thanks to new chemical manufacturing techniques, blue was no longer a “strange” color and was used in religious paintings, coats of arms, and other works of art. Overnight, people noticed the psychological and emotional impact of the color blue.

It is combined with divinity, mysticism, royalism and elegance. Later in the 18th century, with the development of new pigments, a wider range of shades of blue was also obtained. With their help and with the research of Michel Pastoureau, blue became the Favorite Color of the West.

Tension-relieving blue

We’ve been studying color psychology for years — and we’ve seen surprising results. What Newton himself started, Goethe continued it and was later developed by Eva Heller. Today, universities around the world are analyzing the relationship between color and marketing. One goal is a relaxing but productive work environment.

Experts have been saying for years that the most stress-relieving color is blue.  Let’s have a fun moment. Imagine that we stand by the Pacific Ocean, the blue of the sea merging on the horizon into a sky of the same color. If we also reproduce this image, the serenity that invades us is awesome, comforting, wonderful. And that’s what happens to most people.

Researchers at the University of Granada, in collaboration with San Rafael Granada Special Education College, have shown that blue has a very positive effect on a person who has experienced acute psychosocial stress (such as quarrels, work pressures, etc.). In fact, blue is more soothing than white.

Eva Heller’s research also showed that in classrooms or other environments where the predominant color is blue, the incidence of teasing and behavioral problems decreases. Its calming effect is undeniable.

Everywhere blue

The famous stress-relieving color is a favorite of marketers. This is because neuromarketing experts know what it does to our subconscious.

• Blue is not only visual but also experiential.
• It creates feelings of trust, calm, peace and order.
• In fact, big brands like Facebook, Twitter, Ford, Volkswagen, IBM, Roche, BBVA, Carrefour and MRW use it because they know that blue encourages loyalty.

If you think about it more closely, you’ll find that big airlines use a lot of blue. Calmness and confidence are very important in this industry, which is why you see it a lot in airplanes and airline marketing.

You don’t have to paint your whole house sky blue to get a peaceful home. Actually, if you were painting, you would just get used to it and your brain would be overwhelmed. The key is balance. When you have a bad day, nothing compares to a walk on the beach or lying on the grass and watching the blue sky…