Case of the Mondays: Productive Palette

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Monday’s can be a rough transition from the relaxing (or adventurous) weekend. That’s why each week we will try to help you avoid that case of the Mondays with some motivation to help refocus for the week. This is the day we stop, take a breath (come on, breathe in, exhale) so we can gear up to be productive for the week ahead.

Let’s do a bit of word association. When we say “blue,” what comes to mind? Water. Sky. Moon. Singing the blues. Bet you didn’t think of the psychology of colors and how this cool shade can help you focus and perform at a higher level. Don’t worry though, this association is going to catch on.

It shouldn’t come as that big of a shock that colors have an influence on our behavior and mood. Blue is said to have a calming effect on the brain – it may even help lower blood pressure – and encourage concentration, according to this article on color psychology. For these reasons, blue is one of the most common colors used in offices, and it’s recommended you wear blue to an interview because people associate the color with loyalty.

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While blue is best if you want to log some serious office time, warmer colors, such as oranges and yellows, can make you feel more energetic. But beware, warm colors, particularly red, can also make you feel more irritable and angry. (Fun fact: Babies tend to cry more in a yellow room. Perhaps they are rebelling against the notion of yellow being a gender neutral color.) Color psychology is also a big factor in industries like marketing. Check out this awesome map of how colors are associated with certain brands and emotions.

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Now, we don’t expect we’d go as far as these guys to incorporate more blue into our day, even though they do seem rather productive. But we may consider changing our desktop image to a serene sky, adding a photograph of an idyllic beach to our desk, or even just sporting a blue shirt to the office. Consider the behavioral impacts of color, but make it your own.

So, the next time someone asks you if you are feeling blue, feel free to say “Yes,” followed by a detailed account of all the tasks you checked off that To Do list.