Color Your World

Our reactions to color are intensely personal. You may feel a burst of joy when looking at a vase of blazing sunflowers, or feel suddenly relaxed by a hotel room’s “not-a-care-in-the-world” neutrals or been awed at the fleeting magic of a rainbow while walking in your neighborhood.

If so, you have intuitive knowledge that colors evoke intense emotions.

However, while color may be all around us, its hold remains mysterious. Artists and philosophers have grappled for centuries with how to harness its emotional power.

In the past decades, scientists have been trying to explain color’s emotional effects. One theory is that color was a matter of life and death in our evolutionary history. The fact that humans can distinguish millions of shades helped our long-ago ancestors discern the blush of a potential mate, the sparkle of thirst-slaking water on the horizon, and the pallor of illness on a loved one. It is believed that our evolutionary past hardwired us to respond to certain colors in specific ways.

Scientists are now focusing on how the qualities of a color affect our emotions. Its brightness and saturation may have more influence on mood than its hue. For example; a 2017 study in Psychology Research found that colors with higher saturation boosted peoples heart rate.

Research has revealed that people like colors based on how much they like the objects they connect with those colors.

Blue is popular because it is associated with good things — the sky and the ocean. Brown is less favored because of its connection to substances like faeces.

Red is often associated with anger. It is also a go-to color for energy. Studies show that viewing it improves alertness and athletic performance. The color of blood, fire, and lips.

Our reaction to a color may also be rooted in a vivid childhood memory — while gray might seem dishwater-dreary to some, it may have been the shade of your childhood treehouse and delight you.

The way to enhance your mood with color may be both simple and liberating.

A 2018 study found that across cultures, humans connect bright colors with positivity.

To produce a peaceful vibe, a pastel palette is recommended. Pastel colors are muted, calming energies. Nature is healing, so bring that mood into your space. Adding the green of live plants can reduce stress as well.

Changing up your colors can give you a fresh start too. A good reason to repaint is if you are going through a big life transition. Or paint just one wall in your home office a bold color and swivel toward it when you need a boost.

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Wash BEFORE You Wear

After COVID, I’ve been feeling uneasy about buying new clothes that an infected person may have tried on. One way to feel safer is to wash it before I wear it. It turns out that if you wear new clothes without washing them first, there’s a chance you may pay another price for it a few days later. That price may be red, itchy and painful.

Allergic contact dermatitis is an immune-system-related reaction to an allergen that has touched your skin. It causes a delayed reaction: a rash that appears a few days after exposure and can last for weeks at a time.

Dr. Susan Nedorost, director of the dermatitis program at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center says it’s usually from disperse dyes that are primarily used in synthetic clothing materials like polyester and nylon. These dyes may be present at higher levels in a new, unwashed article of clothing.

Sweating and friction can cause the disperse dye to leak out of clothing. Synthetic workout gear, made out of shiny, stretchy water-repelling materials is often the culprit. This is most often seen as a rash around the back of the neck and along the sides around the armpits.

It’s not clear how common disperse-dye allergies are among the general public. But the way to limit your risk for a bad reaction is by washing new clothing before you wear it. Even so, you might just remove a little extra dye and just have lower exposure.

Nitroanilines and Benzothiazoles are two more chemical compounds that turn up in clothing and that lab and animal evidence have linked to potential adverse health effects, including cancer. While some of these chemicals may remain “locked away” in the fibers of your clothing, others may slowly work their way out onto your skin or even into the air as your clothing ages and degrades.

It’s not clear whether exposure to these chemicals in your clothing could make you sick. Investigations in chemical usage in the textile industry have revealed that clothing is often treated with stain repellents, color fasteners, anti-wrinkle agents, softness enhancers and other chemical treatments.

Clothing manufacturers don’t have to disclose any of these to customers, and what’s more, many of the compounds, including the popular waterproofing chemical called fluorosurfactants (often referred to as PFAS), have little or no research backing their safety. These chemicals may not only pose health risks to the general public but also tend to end up in the air and water supplies where they can do further harm.

Experts say it’s always in your best interest to wash clothing before wearing. Washing new clothes reduces the content of chemicals, especially residual chemicals that may remain after manufacturing.

Further research on clothing suggests that synthetic materials may be treated with more chemicals than natural fibers like cotton. But there’s no label indicator or certification that ensures a garment is chemical-free.

Bibliotherapy - The Novel Cure

I’m not in therapy, but like many people, I have issues that could use some working through. Just ask my mother — on second thought- no, not my mother — please, not her! Compassionate, well-trained therapists offer sound advice and plenty of tissues, but those weekly sessions never last for the long haul. They get expensive, and fifty minutes of forced conversation can turn into something to dread.

This is why the concept of bibliotherapy struck me as not only practical but downright inviting. Bibliotherapy is the practice of reading books to help address the everyday ailments of life, such as low-level anxiety, heartache, and midlife melancholy. It’s important to note that this is not intended to replace traditional therapy for severe conditions. For any book lover (like me), the appeal is especially obvious: Time spent pleasure reading can be guilt-free in the name of mental health and wellness. With little more than a stack of novels and cozy chair, you could, in theory, heal yourself.

The belief in the therapeutic effect of storytelling is nothing new. In ancient Greece, the entrance to the library of Thebes was inscribed with “healing place of the soul.” Around the end of the 19th century, Sigmund Freud was using literature in psychoanalysis sessions. Later, during World War I, hospitalized patients were encouraged to read books as a means of recovering from trauma.

The term “bibliotherapeutics” is believed to date back to 1916, the Atlantic Monthly reported on the goings-on at a Bibliopathic Institute, run out of a church basement, where a self-anointed specialist dispensed the works of Tolstoy, Shaw, and Thackeray like tinctures and tonics.

“The primary function of poetry, as of all the arts, is to make us more aware of ourselves and the world around us.” W.H. Auden

A study in 2000 revealed that when people read about an event, they display activity in the same brain regions they would if they had actually experienced it. Other studies found that people who read literary fiction tend to show more empathy. Reading has also been shown to nurture a sharper mind and coax our bodies into a state of deep relaxation, similar to meditation. It is clear to me that books help people become happier and healthier, not to mention more emotionally attuned to others.

They say that art and literature tell you truths about the world and about yourself that no one else can tell you.

As the days, nights, weeks and months of social distancing roll into one another, the world may feel like it’s crumbling. You just might need a little dose of perspective. If so, you may be able to find the solace, inspiration, and even the unexpected belly laugh at the moment you need it — at a bookcase near you.

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Much To Do About Nothing

 There is a northern European trend that is being used as a way to combat our increasingly busy and stressful lives: niksen. The Dutch concept is that simple — doing nothing.

What exactly is niksen?

Niksen literally means to do nothing, to be idle or do something without any use. Practicing niksen could be as simple as just hanging around, looking at your surroundings or listening to music — as long as it is without purpose and not done in order to achieve anything or be productive. Think “just sitting in a chair and looking out the window”.

While mindfulness is about being present and in the moment, niksen is more about carving out time to just be, letting your mind wander as opposed to focusing on the details of an action or activity.

We can have moments of relaxation which can be combined with easy, semiautomatic activity, such as knitting. Experts say that one aspect of the art of living is to find out what ways of relaxing fit you best. This should not be a one-size-fits-all approach. Through trial and error, you’ll discover which behaviors are most effective for you.

Niksen has been dismissed as laziness or anti-productive. But as stress levels climb in the U.S. and across the globe , and their crushing health impacts— like burnout- get more recognition from the medical sector, doing nothing is being framed more and more as a positive, stress-combating method.

Eve Ekman, director of training at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, says “everyone is looking for some way back to ease and connection”. As someone who studies stress and burnout, she calls the national levels of stress among adults and teens in the U.S. “daunting”.

Niksen does more than just make us feel relaxed. It can help us generate new ideas and even solve problems.

The research shows promise when it comes to the benefits of slowing down through activities such as spending time in nature. This practice comes with emotional perks, such as reducing anxiety and physical ones like strengthening the ability to fight off the common cold.

This should be enough to encourage us to consider practicing some niksen.

My Looking-Forward List

When I was 59, I was, for the most part, pretty happy. I felt good about the life I’d created for myself. But as I approached my 60th birthday, I wanted to be prepared for the worst. I had friends who, on their 60th birthdays, were overcome with an enormous sense of sadness, friends who said they realized they weren’t where they’d thought they’d be at that point in their lives. What if I woke up on the morning of my 60th birthday and felt the same way?

That’s why I created a 60th birthday first aid kit. It consisted of a long list of things I considered accomplishments — from paying off my credit cards to saving up a proper emergency fund. It included all the places I’d lived, all the placed I’d travelled to, and all the jobs I’d held. It also included less tangible things like the joy I felt about my circle of friends, and the work I’d done for my own health.

After completing my list, I proudly told my friend about it. To my surprise, rather than applaud my efforts, she gave me a confused look. She said, “rather than make a list looking backward, what would happen if you looked forward? Imagine a list of the amazing things you’ll do after you turn 60. It will be a lot longer than the list you already made.”

I got to work listing places I would visit, milestones I would reach, and books I would read. I dreamed big, picturing myself on photography safaris in Africa. I also dreamed of things like having the writing job I have always been passionate about. The list served as an excuse to learn more about everything that piqued my interest — from classical music to gardening.

My looking forward-list reminded me of the importance of novelty. No matter what age we are, when we’re living our day-in, day-out lives, it’s easy to fall into a rut. That comfortable rut can keep us from growing and experiencing a genuine sense of wonder in the world. In writing out my list, I realized nearly all of it consisted of new experiences, which came with the potential for many surprises. What’s more, my list instilled in me a sense of anticipation, one of my favorite emotional states.

By writing a list for the future, we say “Yes, there will be a future.” We say, “There are good things ahead.” We proclaim, “There’s a lot to live for” and I, for one, am excited about those things.

The World Is Changing For The Better

When it feels like everything is falling apart, there’s actually plenty to be optimistic about.

WE CAN DELAY CLIMATE CHANGE

If we continue to work hard to increase solar, wind, and electric energy costs, we can fulfill the planet’s energy needs by about 2037. This is a message we need to spread, pushing governments and the financial sector to seize the opportunity the way we did during World War II. We tend to forget how good America has been at dealing with emergencies. The first step is treating the climate crisis like one.

THE HOMELESS ARE GETTING HOMES

Housing First, an organization which goes against the conventional order that homelessness is solved by giving people jobs which, in turn gets them money and shelter, grants access to homes as the first step. They moved over 1,000 people off the streets of Atlanta in 2013, and since 2015 homelessness has decreased by 25 percent. Around the world, Housing First is getting thousands of people off the streets- proving homelessness can be reduced.

TOUGH TIMES BRING SOCIAL GOOD

While it might seem that the country has never been worse off, we must make it a point to remember that the founding fathers felt that way too- disease was out of control; inequity and corruption were prevalent- and they viewed it as an opportunity for change. That was the reason why the colonists rebelled. Maybe we can begin to feel that way today.

DEATHS FROM NATURAL DISASTERS HAVE DECREASED

If you look at the numbers, you will realize we are much better off than we were 100 years ago. When severe weather, landslides and floods used to happen, we were far less prepared. We are also better at predicting when disaster will strike, allowing us to take measures to protect ourselves. The numbers reveal that we are skilled at finding solutions to big problems and that we can do it when we work together.

MENTAL HEALTH CARE IS ON THE RISE

It looks like the tech world has begun to take mental health seriously. A few years ago, there was a decline in well- being and a steep increase in anxiety. Part of this May have been related to social media. Now it seems like people have begun to share their insecurities and traumas on social media. Instead of showing only their best selves online and retreating into silence, they’re genuinely connecting both digitally and in person. They want to talk about their anxiety and depression with others.

We shouldn’t wait one more day to spark a change. We are stronger when we take care of ourselves together.

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An Innovative Career On The Rise

When you ask the age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, 75% of children aged 6 to 17 will choose being a YouTuber as their most desired career. Within the last decade, social media has skyrocketed in popularity, transforming regular people into celebrities seemingly overnight. It is not surprising that YouTube is taking this trend to the extreme.

YouTube, a video sharing platform created in 2005, allows anybody with a computer to upload videos containing any content to the site. This ranges from cute animal videos to tarot readings, and even includes “vlogs”, video blogs that people create and share to document their everyday lives.

Vlogs are exceedingly popular amongst the younger demographic.

I think of it as a revolution of the role of the typical movie actor: the YouTuber has become the main character of his or her own TV show, with their family and friends as the supporting characters and their day-to-day lives as the plot.

The glaring difference between these YouTubers and tradicional celebrities is that we don’t really know whether these YouTubers are acting or not — they may or may not be putting on a facade, but we don’t know either way, which can be scary. They use their private lives as a source of content, but the extent to whether this is genuine is always questionable. Nevertheless, it is as demanding as any Hollywood career: vloggers invest time and effort in exchange for the chance to be catapulted into superstardom.

For today’s youth, the life of a YouTuber holds immense appeal because of its accessibility. Most vloggers’ origins are humble: when starting out, a YouTuber is just someone filming their life without much intention of going viral or becoming famous. When compared to the highly polished celebrity culture, it is easy to see how much more realistic a YouTuber starting out can seem.

What many don’t realize is that their favorite online creators reap the same monetary profits as our Hollywood stars. YouTube has become an extremely lucrative business, with the top YouTube creators making between 15 and 20 million dollars a year — without even considering the additional revenue they collect from merchandise and paid appearances.

Unfortunately, the life that made these creators seem so likeable to their audience fades away as they become millionaires and lose their grasp on what made them popular in the first place. There are some online creators who reach this high level of success and are not seen as out of touch with reality. Some have been on YouTube for over 10 years and have over 20 million subscribers. Others aren’t so fortunate — far too many other creators are ripped apart for “changing” with the fame that comes along with their careers.

However, it seems that knowledge of the common fate of such YouTubers has yet to stop children from desiring the YouTuber lifestyle and career. In fact, studies report that anywhere between 1 in 5 children want to either by a YouTuber or some other variation of an online creator.

But the life of a YouTuber carries its burdens …

For one, there is no option to “step back” from work. This is impossible as their job is directly interconnected with their everyday life, creating a muddled sense of self. When creators try to speak about these hardships, they are met only with a harsh reminder that however hard their jobs may seem, they are receiving higher salaries than most surgeons for simply showcasing their everyday lives.

This field of work did not exist a decade ago, which is what makes it so innovative, yet elusive and confusing.

Let’s face it, a typical adult does not even know what a “YouTuber” means, let alone know that these creators can make millions of dollars off the platform.

The rise and popularity of YouTube and its online creators is only at its beginning stage, and its going to be an incredible and exciting journey to watch the way this new job settles into the market, and how the creators will find a balance between their own lives and those of their ever-changing audience.

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