Depression is incredibly common in this day and age, and different treatments have varying success rates depending on individual circumstances or biochemical factors. While it can be tough to find effective depression treatments, many people find some success with color therapy. Wait, you might ask—can colors really help with depression? If so, how can you use them to their maximum effect? We’ll break down the answers to these questions and more below.
Clearlight® Infrared Saunas include a Medical Grade Chromotherapy device. Explore the sauna models available on our site, and request a quote today.
Color Therapy Explained
Color therapy, also known as chromotherapy, revolves around the idea that certain colors of light can help to treat mental or physical ailments, as well as “rebalance” the body’s energy. By absorbing different wavelengths of light, our bodies’ cells may absorb different types of energy, and physiological changes in the brain may occur that shift chemical concentrations.
Note that any potential effects from color therapy are minimal or subtle. They don’t cause sweeping changes to mood or biology. Instead, color therapy may be best utilized as an ancillary method to be pursued in conjunction with other depression treatments.
What Do Color Therapy Colors Mean?
According to color therapy, certain colors can induce different physiological effects and may be related to different energy centers in the body. The colors and their proposed effects include:
- Red, which may raise blood pressure and increase the pulse/increase the rate of breathing
- Orange, which may affect mood and alertness
- Yellow, which is the brightest color possible for chromotherapy. It may be used to cause positive physiological effects to the nervous system, assist the body’s metabolism, and purify the skin
- Green, a harmonious and balancing color associated with neutral and positive or calming effects
- Blue, a relaxing and calm color that may produce relieving effects to treat headaches, colds, stomach pains, muscle cramps, and more. It’s a catch-all color for pain relief
- Indigo, a calming and sedating color that may be able to address certain conditions that affect the ears, eyes, and nose
- Violet, a color that may affect the nervous system and help to relax muscles or soothe organs due to its meditative qualities
While firm scientific evidence supporting chromotherapy is still being researched, earlier cultures have noticed and leveraged the effects of certain colors of light on the body for thousands of years.
Can Color Therapy Help with Depression?
Possibly. Depression is a very complex neurochemical disorder that can occur for a variety of reasons, including life circumstances and stresses, chemical imbalances in the brain, and genetic issues.
However, certain types of color may be able to alleviate certain depressive symptoms or improve the mood of individuals. When used with other types of therapy, including medication or meetings with therapists, color therapy may be able to provide real-world benefits to those experiencing depression.
Which Colors Are Ideal for Depression Treatment?
The best colors for chromotherapy depression treatments are necessarily dependent on the individual. However, certain colors may have more reliable or beneficial effects than others.
For example, green is known to be a balancing and safe color for all types of color therapy experiments or procedures. Green can boost the mood due to its association with nature. When using green light, pure green is a better choice than light green, which may cause anxiety. Green can also improve certain positive emotions like peace or joy.
Yellow, similarly, is a bright and happy color reminiscent of sunlight. Yellow can improve energy, zeal, and feelings of satisfaction in life. Red may be beneficial depending on the source of depressive symptoms due to its association with positive feelings like passion, romance, and more.
On the flip side, you should also avoid certain colors if you’re feeling down. Blue, for example, lowers energy and may actually exacerbate any depressive symptoms you can feel. For this reason, you shouldn’t use blue when trying color therapy to treat depression.
Using Color Therapy in Conjunction with Infrared Saunas
As mentioned earlier, color therapy is best used with other types of physical and mental therapy if you want to treat depressive symptoms. Fortunately, you can combine color therapy with many of the best at-home infrared saunas, including Clearlight® Infrared Saunas.
In fact, many Clearlight® Infrared Saunas include Medical Grade Chromotherapy devices by default. That means you can enjoy the positive physiological effects of infrared saunas in addition to chromotherapy effects at the same time.
Request a quote today to enjoy a detoxifying sweat and potentially treat your depressive symptoms. Or contact us today and find out which infrared saunas are best used for chromotherapy based on their space, included lights and controls, and more.