There seem to be more uses for colors than painting a pretty picture or coloring Easter eggs. Color can actually improve mood and have healing effects on the body. This type of therapy is called Chromotherapy or color therapy.

“A study at the San Bernardino County Prohibition Center in California was done by putting violent children in a passive pink room. Within 10 minutes, the children would calm down and fall asleep,” according to nytimes.com.

Although Chromotherapy isn’t yet proven by science, there have been multiple studies showing it to improve mood and health properties.

There’s been a medical history with chromotherapy treating certain illnesses like jaundice. “… baths of blue light have replaced blood transfusions as the standard treatment for about 30,000 premature babies born each year with potentially fatal neonatal jaundice,” according to nytimes.com.

Being in college can be a stressful and sleepless time for students. Sleep deprivation can cause lack of focus, and being overly stressed can cause other health problems. Students may decide to take sleeping pills in order to fall asleep faster or other medications to help them stay awake, which can have negative side effects. Chromotherapy can be used as an alternative for medicine.

Being a college student also typically means that money may be short so buying medicine, herbal supplements and other things can be costly.

“Bright white full-spectrum light is also now being used in the treatment of cancers, SAD (seasonal affective disorder, so-called winter depression), anorexia, bulimia nervosa, insomnia, jetlag, shift working, alcohol and drug dependency, and to reduce overall levels of medication,” according to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov For example, “Red is often used to express love on Valentine’s Day, but actually red relates more to sexuality and desire, than to love. Love is best expressed with the color pink. The positive side of the red color is that it can create life with its sexual energy. The red color also can stimulate the appetite and is often used for this purpose in restaurants.

Green gives more hope than any other color. The color green has a strong sense of right and wrong, and a good judgment. The color green promotes love of nature, family, friends, pets and home.

It is the color of people who love being in the garden, at home, or being a good host. But the green color meaning also can be associated with being new or inexperienced.

Blue seeks peace and tranquility and promotes physical and mental relaxation. The color blue reduces stress and creates a sense of calmness, relaxation and order. Blue lowers metabolism. The paler the blue color, the more free we feel,” according to www.color-meanings.com Using Chromotherapy can be as simple as painting different rooms different colors, wearing different colored clothes (which also can affect those around you) or wearing different colored glasses. There also are machines for low prices such as LED nightlights, light projectors and relaxation projectors.

The next time you feel blue, try wearing the color instead. It may just perk you up.