How to Weave More Colour Into Your Life

You might have heard about a pleasant neurological condition called synaesthesia, which results in the brain making unusual connections between colours and letters, numbers, words and music. There are other wonderful ways in which the condition plays out, with some people making links between other senses too—taste or touch or smell—and language.

According to neurologists, we’re all born with our senses crossing over. Most people’s brains ‘fence off’ these connections during development as a young child. For ‘synaesthetes’ some of those gates stay open, and the connections continue to be made, filling their worlds with extra colour.

Here are a few brilliant ways that you can add extra colour into your life: 

1. Bring the outdoors in

Pick or buy some gorgeous flowers and place them somewhere close to you. Choose the most fragrant blooms to add scent to your visual feast.

2. Update your desktop background

Clear the clutter from your desktop and choose a new, colourful background image. Perhaps it’s a gorgeous landscape from a trip you’ve taken or one you want to take. Maybe it’s a vibrant image from nature. You might like to change the colour schemes within your computer programs too, and brighten your working day.

3. Treat yourself to a colourful gift

A new scarf, earrings, a beautiful mug or cup and saucer, a new phone case or cushion for your lounge… it needn’t be expensive, but a change of colour in your ‘everyday’ can provide an immediate lift and shift your mood.

4. Count the colours

Make a game out of playing with colour. Choose a colour to notice and look for it everywhere. This is an excellent mindfulness trick, as it focuses us closely on our surroundings. Nervous in the dentist’s waiting room? See how many purple things you can spot from where you’re sitting. Once we start paying more attention to the colours all around us, we notice just how colourful the world really is.

5. Visit somewhere colourful

Take a stroll through the botanic gardens or visit a gallery or an antique shop. Spend an hour or two ‘window shopping for colour’ and paying attention in particular to how different colours make you feel…

We'd love to hear your own ideas for adding colour to your world. 

Until next time—have fun with colour!

Enjoy! :)