What Is Color Therapy? (And How to Use It in Your Everyday Life)
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Color isn't just something you see—it's something you feel. From the golden hour glow over Venice Beach to the deep blue shadows on a quiet NYC street, color shapes how we experience the world around us. And according to color therapy, it can also shape how we feel inside.
Whether you're looking to calm your mind, boost your energy, or just reconnect with yourself, color therapy offers a simple, creative way to support your wellbeing. In this guide, we'll explore what color therapy is, how it works, and how you can bring it into your daily routine—starting with your favorite neighborhood coloring book.
What Is Color Therapy?
Color therapy (also called chromotherapy) is a holistic practice that uses the energy of color to support emotional and physical health. The idea is that different colors carry different frequencies—and those frequencies can influence how we feel, think, and heal.
It's not a new concept. Ancient Egyptians used sunlight filtered through colored glass in healing temples. The Greeks applied colored stones and pigments to the body to restore balance. Across cultures and centuries, people have believed that color is more than decoration—it's medicine.
Today, color therapy is used in wellness spaces, interior design, art therapy, and even fashion. It's a non-invasive, accessible way to shift your mood, manage stress, and create environments that feel good to be in.
How Different Colors Affect You
Each color has its own vibe—and its own potential benefits. Here's a quick breakdown of what each one brings to the table:
Blue
Emotional impact: Calm, peace, clarity
Physical benefits: Cooling, soothing, supports the nervous system
Best for: Bedrooms, meditation spaces, or anytime you need to slow down and breathe
Think: the ocean off Santa Monica Pier, a quiet morning sky, or the soft glow of dusk over the city.
Yellow
Emotional impact: Optimism, creativity, mental clarity
Physical benefits: Energizing, supports digestion and focus
Best for: Workspaces, kitchens, or anywhere you want to feel awake and inspired
Think: string lights at a Venice Beach café, a sunny storefront awning, or the warm glow of a streetlamp at night.
Green
Emotional impact: Balance, renewal, emotional stability
Physical benefits: Healing, immune support, lowers blood pressure
Best for: Living rooms, wellness spaces, or anywhere you want to feel grounded
Think: palm trees lining LA streets, leafy side streets in Greenwich Village, or a quiet park bench in Los Feliz.
Red
Emotional impact: Energy, passion, courage
Physical benefits: Increases circulation and metabolism
Best for: Gyms, creative studios, or anywhere you want to feel alive
Think: a red neon sign on Sunset Boulevard, a bold door in West Hollywood, or a vintage bike parked on the boardwalk.
Orange
Emotional impact: Joy, sociability, creative thinking
Physical benefits: Supports digestion and respiratory health
Best for: Social spaces like kitchens, dining rooms, or collaborative work areas
Think: food trucks at golden hour, festival lights, or a sunset over the Pacific.
Purple
Emotional impact: Calm, intuition, spiritual awareness
Physical benefits: Supports sleep and emotional balance
Best for: Meditation rooms, bedrooms, or anywhere you want to reflect and recharge
Think: twilight over the Hollywood Hills, a moody mural in Williamsburg, or the soft glow of a candle-lit room.
The Top Color Therapy Techniques
You don't need a degree or a special setup to practice color therapy. Here are some of the easiest (and most effective) ways to bring it into your life:
1. Visual Exposure
Surround yourself with colors that support how you want to feel. Paint a wall, hang art, change your phone wallpaper, or just spend time in spaces that feel good.
Try it: Choose a room in your home and add one intentional color—like blue pillows for calm or yellow accents for energy.
2. Color Reflection
Use mirrors, glass, or reflective surfaces to amplify the presence of a color in your space. Reflection can soften or intensify a color's energy depending on how you use it.
Try it: Place a mirror near a window to reflect natural light and the colors outside—sky, trees, or city lights.
3. Coloring Books
This is where we come in. Mindful coloring is one of the most accessible forms of color therapy. It reduces anxiety, promotes focus, and gives you a creative outlet to explore how different colors make you feel.
Try it: Grab a Local Color Shop coloring book and experiment. Color Venice Beach in calming blues and greens one day, then try bold reds and oranges the next. Notice how each palette shifts your mood.
4. Colorful Environments
Design your surroundings with intention. Use green in spaces where you want to relax, yellow where you need focus, or purple where you want to wind down.
Try it: Rearrange your space based on how you want to feel in it. Even small changes—like swapping out a throw blanket or adding a plant—can make a difference.
5. Dietary Choices
Eating colorful foods is a form of color therapy, too. Leafy greens support detox, orange fruits boost immunity, and red foods can increase energy.
Try it: Build a meal around one color and notice how it makes you feel—physically and emotionally.
6. Color-Based Outfits
What you wear affects how you feel. Blue can help you stay calm before a big meeting. Red can give you confidence on a tough day. Yellow can lift your mood when you're feeling low.
Try it: Choose your outfit based on the energy you want to carry that day—not just what matches.
The Benefits of Color Therapy
Color therapy isn't a cure-all, but it is a tool—and a surprisingly powerful one. Here's what it can do:
Reduces Stress & Anxiety
Soft, cool colors like blue and green have been shown to lower heart rate and cortisol levels. Whether you're coloring, decorating, or just sitting in a calming space, color can help you feel safer and more grounded.
Enhances Mood & Energy
Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow can lift your spirits and combat fatigue. They're especially helpful during low-energy days or seasonal slumps.
Supports Physical Healing
While color therapy isn't a replacement for medical care, some believe it can support the body's natural healing processes—like improving circulation (red), boosting immunity (green), or aiding sleep (purple).
Encourages Emotional Expression
Color gives you a language when words aren't enough. Whether you're journaling, coloring, or choosing what to wear, color can help you process and express what you're feeling.
Promotes Mindfulness
Engaging with color—whether you're choosing a palette, coloring a page, or just noticing the colors around you—brings you into the present moment. It's a simple way to practice mindfulness without meditating.
How to Start Using Color Therapy Today
You don't need to overhaul your life to benefit from color therapy. Start small:
- Pick one color that resonates with how you want to feel today
- Add it somewhere—your outfit, your desk, your coloring page
- Notice how it shifts your mood throughout the day
And if you're looking for a creative, low-pressure way to explore color therapy, our neighborhood-themed coloring books are a great place to start.
Each page is filled with iconic scenes from places like Venice Beach, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Williamsburg, and Greenwich Village—giving you the freedom to color your world however you want.
Use calming blues for a beach scene. Add energizing yellows to a busy street. Experiment with moody purples on a city skyline. There's no right or wrong—just you, your pencils, and the colors that feel good.
Discover the Power of Color with Local Color Shop
At Local Color Shop, we believe color is more than decoration—it's connection. Connection to the neighborhoods you love, the memories you've made, and the person you're becoming.
Our coloring books celebrate the character and charm of real places, designed for kids, grown-ups, and anyone who wants to slow down and create something meaningful.
Ready to color your way to calm?
Explore our full collection of neighborhood-themed coloring books and our Double Rainbow dual-ended colored pencils—30 colors, endless possibilities.
Free US shipping on orders over $50.
Color therapy starts with a single page. Let's make it a good one.