If you’re feeling stressed, some retail therapy could help.
And loading up on clothes in a “calming” color might just bring a bit more long-term zen to your day.
Different hues can affect your mood, according to Michelle Lewis, a color psychology expert and the founder of The Color Cure.
And while yellow can make you happier and pink can make you feel comfortable, green is the way to go for “equilibrium.”
“Green is the psychological primary color that balances the other three: red, yellow and blue,” Lewis told Business Insider.
“Too stressed? It will calm you. Down in the dumps? It will lift you up,” she said. “It’s a calming color that helps us grow, and I love wearing it.”
Wearing it is just one way to embrace “dopamine dressing,” or dressing to boost your mood.
“Green tends to be soothing so wearing green may make you feel more relaxed and less anxious,” psychologist and Reiki master Ellen Albertson, PhD, RDN, told VeryWell.
Green’s calming effect extends to our environments, too: A 2017 study of 36 women found that visiting a green environment in a city was associated with lower blood pressure and lower heart rate.
Several other studies have shown that green lowers stress, but if the color of trees, money, and Brussels sprouts isn’t your thing, blue can also have a calming influence.
“Blue tends to be peaceful so wearing it might help you feel less stressed. In contrast, red is stimulating,” Albertson added.
Lewis agreed, saying that wearing blue can bring down your heart rate and blood pressure — and light or dark shades both have a positive impact.
