What colour represents loneliness?

In this blog post, we will answer the question “what colour represents loneliness?”. We will also explore more on loneliness and what causes it. On top of it, all will explore the psychology of colours, and colour symbolism chart and look at different colours and their meanings.

We will explain ‌how sad colours at home affect your mental state and the meaning of colours. 

What colour represents loneliness?

Grey is a dull colour that symbolises sadness, loneliness and negative values. Many people associate the grey colour with depression and monotony. Colours can have a lot of meaning and impact on our lives.

Many people associate some events and emotions with colours. We will look at the psychology of colours and the deep meaning of each colour on our mental health.

Psychology of colours

Colour psychology is the study of how colours affect human behaviour. Different colours have different meanings to various cultures. Colour psychology uses the colour theory that shows how different colour hues affect human behaviour and perceptions.

Sir Isaac Newton discovered the colour spectrum in the 17th century and developed the colour wheel in 1704. Carl Jung continued this research by looking at how colours affect the human mind and made it possible for his patients to express themselves through the use of colours. In the modern world, colour psychology is used in marketing and advertising.

The emotional and psychological meaning of colours

Colours have a powerful impact on our emotions and thoughts. Some colours evoke feelings of sadness while others stimulate feelings of happiness and cheerfulness. We will categorize the colours depending on their brightness and shade and the effect they have on our emotions.

Happy colours

They include warm colours like yellow and orange. Peach, light pink and lilac also fall under this category. The lighter the colours are, the more likely they are to trigger feelings of happiness and optimism. A combination of many primary and secondary colours also uplifts one’s mood.

Warm colours

They include yellow, orange and red. These colours follow each other on the colour wheel. They symbolize feelings of energy, optimism and happiness. The colours are also attention-grabbing and are often used to signal danger or hazards.

These are the colours used to show danger, road warning signs and barrier tape. They make you stop and help you signal danger. Red is also used as an appetite trigger.

Cool colours

Blue, purple and green fall under this category. They trigger calming and soothing nature. They can, however, also be used to show sadness. 

Purple is also a colour that symbolises creativity. These colours are mostly used to promote health products. 

Sad colours

Dark and dull colours are used to symbolise sadness. Grey colour is the classic representation of sadness. Blue, green, brown and beige also trigger similar feelings depending on where and how they are used.

Black is used to representing mourning in western culture, while East Asia countries use white to symbolise mourning. We will discuss the sad colours ‌in the blog so ‌continue reading.

Energizing colours

Bright and neon colours are energizing and attention-grabbing. They help one stay alert. They can, however, be irritating to the eyes, i.e., children ‌cry in bright yellow rooms. These colours tend to leave you feeling refreshed and energized.

Calming colours

Colour toned pastel colours like light blue and lilac, green, blue and neutrals like white and beige are calming colours. A combination of a few colours, especially the simple ones, will definitely give you a calm feeling.

7 sad colours at your home that affect your mental state

Various factors like shade, tone, tint and brightness affect our emotions. The sad colours that affect our emotions at home include;

Grey colours

The grey colour causes an unsettling feeling and evokes feelings of sadness, loneliness and isolation. It is a sad and moody colour and too much of it can create sadness or depression. Grey is a neutral colour and is usually defined as a transition between two non-colours. 

It is also associated with feelings of detachment. Some people refer to it as an unemotional colour.

Purple colours

Some shades of purple are associated with feelings of fulfilment, calmness, spirituality, royalty, and sensitivity. However, some shades of purple, especially the dark ones, can cause feelings of frustration, sadness, and gloom. While too little of the colour can show powerlessness and negativity, too much of it produces feelings of arrogance or irritability.

Black

People in black are considered to be powerful, dangerous, authoritative and intimidating. That is why villains wear black. It makes people unapproachable and triggers feelings of fear.

In the western culture, black is associated with mourning and people wear it to funerals. Black roses are also used to symbolise loss and death. Black is considered to be the saddest colour.

Green colours

Green can be soothing and relaxing. It eases feelings of anxiety, depression, and nervousness. However, too little green can cause apathy and fear of rejection, while too much can make one lazy, slow, depressed, moody, and placid.

Blue colours

Light blue shades are used to show spirituality and are also calming. Too much blue and the darker shades of blue, however, come out as cold, uncaring and depict low moods. 

Blue is known as a sad colour, and that is why most of us say that we are feeling blue when we are sad. Too little blue can show timidness, stubbornness, depression, and unreliability.

Brown colours

Brown colour has a dark shade and dark shade colours represent sadness. Brown can trigger feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression. 

Beige colours

Beige is a neutral colour and is mainly used as a background, as it is not conspicuous and cannot be in the spotlight. Just like grey, neutral colours can trigger feelings of sadness and boredom.

Relationship between depression/loneliness and the colour grey

The reason why sad people say everything looks grey is that research has proved that there is a direct link between depression and the colour grey. The visual effect of the world not having colour in a sad person is true. Research from WHO has shown that an estimated 300 million people in the world is depressed.

Another study was done by the University of Freiburg in Germany and it showed that many depressed people have difficulty differentiating between black and white colour. In simple terms, their view of the world is like a low-contrast colour on television. Scientists are working on using this in diagnosing depression though it is not a perfect diagnosis.

For this type of diagnosis to be valid, a comprehensive evaluation of duration, state of health and other factors must be considered.

Use of colours in advertisements and marketing

Why do companies use colours in their sales and advertisements?

• To target customers
• To make their brand unique
• To increase conversion rates
• It conveys the right mood

Primary colours used in advertisements and marketing and their meaning

Red

Red is an emotional colour that depicts agility, passion, strength, determination, desire and love. Red is associated with encouraging appetite. Therefore, most food companies use it for advertisements. The red on Coca-Cola bottles is fascinating and provokes the desire to have a taste of the drink. The white writings are used for eye-catching purposes. Red also triggers impulse buys, which is why most stores change the price colours from black to red when they have promotions.

Yellow

It is the colour of sunlight, and it induces feelings of happiness, energy, and good vibes. Yellow improves mood, makes one self-confident, and stimulates muscle activity. Taxi cabs use yellow for this.

Most children’s products are also advertised by using the yellow colour for its cheerful vibe.

Green

Green brings peace, calm and harmony. It is used to show growth, vitality and nature. Green is a healing colour, both mentally and physically.

It is associated with relaxation and has healing powers. Promoting eco-friendly products is what it is used to promote. It is also used in drug stores as people are conscious of environmental issues and how they affect our health. 

Orange

The orange colour stimulates enthusiasm and success. People associate it with creative thinking, as it triggers the stimulation of oxygen in the brain. It is used for products promoting sports.

It is also a social colour. Because of cultural differences, many people in the United States associate it with jail from the colours of the prisoner’s uniforms, while in the Middle East it is linked to spirituality because of the orange dressing of monks.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have discussed ‌colours and the effect they have on our mental state. The main key points include;

• Different cultures have different meanings for colours
• Sir Isaac Newton developed the colour wheel in 1704
• Colours are an important aspect in the marketing of products and services because people relate to colours
• The shade, brightness, tint, and tone of colour influence our psychological state
• It is important to choose house colours carefully as they can affect us negatively

Please feel free to comment on the content or ask questions in the comment section below. 

Frequently asked questions: what colour represents loneliness

What is the saddest colour?

Black. It has the most negative association, i.e., death, and loss. Dark colours like black and grey are ‌sad colours while red, orange and yellow are considered happy colours.

What colour represents sadness or depression?

Many people use the colour grey to show that they have depression or anxiety.

Does purple represent loneliness?

Purple is associated with royalty, luxury and ambition. Darker shades of purple, are however said to represent loneliness and sadness.

Does blue symbolize sadness?

Yes, blue is associated with tears, hence classified as a sad colour. The dictionary of Americanism (1848), defines blue as severe, gloomy and extreme.

What is the colour of stress?

Red shades are believed to trigger stress and make you more anxious. Red increases stress while green and white are believed to reduce stress. 

Citations

North America Mental Health Professional Advice Council, 7 sad colours at home that affect your mental state (2020, February 14). Retrieved from https://www.namhpac.org/7-sad-colors-at-home-that-affect-your-mental-state/

Masterclass staff (2022, February 15). Psychology of colour explained: what is colour psychology? Retrieved from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/psychology-of-color-explained#:~:text=Color%20psychology%20is%20the%20study,largely%20impacted%20by%20personal%20preference.

Overnight prints, boost sales by choosing the right colours. Retrieved from https://ideas.overnightprints.com/how-does-color-affect-sales/

Gremillion S. A., (2019). Colours and emotions: how colours make you feel. Retrieved from https://99designs.com/blog/tips/how-color-impacts-emotions-and-behaviors/

Viewst, how does colour affect your ad campaigns? Retrieved from https://viewst.com/how-does-color-affect-ad-campaign/#:~:text=Color%20is%20an%20essential%20part,leads%20to%20the%20right%20emotions.

Rodin R. (2015, February 28). The psychology of colour: a designer’s guide to colour association & meaning. Retrieved from https://zevendesign.com/color-association/