Health is Just Over the Rainbow: March is Color Therapy Month

Color plays a part in every inch of our lives. Maybe your science folder for school had to be green, you think you look best in blue, or you chose white for your business cards to appear more professional. We stop at red lights; become cautious at yellow ones and know that help is on the way when we see flashing red and blue. We use colors to communicate daily, but did you know that color can also affect your mental and physical health? March was declared National Color Therapy Month in 2011 to recognize the benefits that color has on mental and physical health. 

What is color therapy?

Color therapy is a practice that, while not widely accepted by Western medicine, has been exercised for thousands of years. Also known as chromotherapy, this form of therapy uses color and light to treat various conditions like stress, depression, high blood pressure, insomnia, and skin infections using the wavelengths in colored light. For example, research suggests that blue light can be used to help reduce anxiety, encourage calm feelings, and treat jaundice. A great demonstration of blue light can be found in the Flint Children’s Museum “breathing room.” The purpose of this room is to help children who may feel overwhelmed in the museum feel relaxed, and it is COMPLETELY BLUE! However, use caution when using blue light at night. The blue light from electronics like phones, computers, tablets, and televisions can negatively affect your sleep schedule. Blue light glasses help protect your eyes from overexposure; consult your eye doctor for recommendations.

According to color therapy, light colors have various purposes:

Red light

• Red can be used as an energy boost for those who may be feeling tired, to treat skin conditions such as acne, wrinkles, dental pain, and hair loss. Red is also a recommended color for night lights. The light emitted is much more subtle than regular LED nightlights, making it easier for your body to relax and fall asleep. 

Orange light

• Orange can be used to evoke feelings of happiness, stimulate appetite and mental activity, and aid skin health. 

Yellow light

• Like orange, yellow can help boost feelings of happiness and aid skin health.

Green light

• Green encourages feelings of relaxation, and can help relieve pain caused by migraines, fibromyalgia, and musculoskeletal conditions.

How you can use color therapy daily

If the theory behind the healing powers of color sound a little far-fetched for you, don’t worry; color therapy is more than wavelengths and what happens in a clinical setting. Whether we know it or not, we practice color therapy through the choices we make every day! From our clothing to the paint on our walls, we choose colors that mean something to us. However, it is important to remember that colors don’t mean the same thing for everyone. For example, wearing black may mean one person is sad or grieving but may also be the color someone else feels the most comfortable wearing. Yellow can make someone feel happy when it’s the color they choose for the living room but may be overwhelming and loud for someone else. Color therapy can also be used outdoors; the variety of colors in nature, especially green, can be used to create feelings of calm and relaxation. Whatever the case for you, embrace colors that are stimulating and evoke positive emotions for you. 

It is important to remember that more research needs to be done on color therapy and if it has lasting effects physically. Consult your doctor if there are any changes in your health that you find alarming.

Sources:

• Cleveland Clinic, (2021). LED Light Therapy, Cleveland Clinic. LED Light Therapy: How It Works, Colors, Benefits & Risks, accessed 2.24.25.
• Cleveland Clinic, (2021). Red Light Therapy, Cleveland Clinic. Red Light Therapy: Benefits, Side Effects & Uses, accessed 2.24.25.
• Marie, Simone, (2023). How Does Color Therapy Improve Your Mood? Healthline. How Does Color Therapy Improve Your Mood?, accessed 2.10.25.
• Ohwovoriole, Toketemu, (2024). Color Therapy Types, Techniques, and Benefits, Very Well Mind. Color Therapy: Definition, Types, Techniques, Efficacy, accessed 2.10.25.
• Smith, Kate. Celebrate Color Therapy Month, Sensational Color. Color Therapy Month – Sensational Color, accessed 2.10.25.