The Psychology of Color [Infographic]

Did you know that fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Pizza Hut use the color red in their logos because the color red is proven to stimulate the appetite? Or that blue is often used in corporate logos because the color blue represents feelings of something being non-invasive?

Even more interestingly, did you know that during the 15th century green was the preferred color choice for wedding gowns because green has long symbolized fertility? White wedding gowns were not always the norm, which is a pretty radical thought when you look at the wedding industry today.

There is an unspoken psychology behind colors and how they make us feel–whether we like it or not. The following infographic explores color psychology, including what specific colors have long symbolized and why, as well as what colors are best suited for the walls of a particular room in your home, which I will definitely be taking note of when I move into my new home next month.

Hoarding Clean Up: Leave It to the Professionals

I used to have a particularly negative attitude towards documentary/reality television shows documenting a person’s struggle with a mental illness, an attribute that sets them apart from the society-accepted version of “normal,” or the challenge to change themselves in the face of discrimination. In my estimation, these shows, while they did strive to reveal a supposedly honest depiction of living with conditions such as substance abuse issues, obesity, and particular phobias, they were doing very little else but exploiting the subjects that were plucked from obscurity and put on the television screens of millions of homes nationwide. I saw the benefit of these shows in the sense that they bring a certain level of success to the television networks who produce and air them, and for the viewers who typically see quality entertainment value in the …

How to Use Yoga to Calm Anxiety

Let’s face it. It’s easy to get all worked up about nothing, whether it’s an annoying boss, a project deadline, or a fight with your spouse. Or maybe you have more serious circumstances going on in your life that are leaving you constantly anxious, stressed, and tired.

Whatever the case may be, it may be time to tap into your inner yogi…

Corpse Pose: If you’re stressed about an upcoming event, like an important presentation or a first date, try the corpse pose for a few minutes. Many people think that this pose is used to relax after a long yoga class, but it can be used to promote relaxation any time of day. To perform the pose, lie on your back with your arms angled away from your torso. Keep your legs separated and extended in …

Want to Find an Extra Hour in Your Day?

Wouldn’t that be nice? How many times have you said to yourself, “If I just had an extra hour, I would…” Of course, it’s not possible to extend each day to 25 hours – although that would certainly help some of us to balance our work and family schedules. But you can assess your schedule and juggle it even more creatively to squeeze out an extra hour each day to spend time doing something that you love.

Stop Wasting Time!

Okay, now it’s time to be honest. What areas of your life are sucking time from your schedule? These time sucks may come in the form of TV, Internet, and mundane household tasks that you do each day. If you cut out just one hour of television a day, you could spend time going on a …

Getting a Hobby, 3 Ideas for Creatively De-Stressing

I didn’t have to be a working mom very long to realize that I desperately need the occasional mini-vacation from both work and mom stuff. I have also realized that, while empty calories and reality TV can provide some moments of pleasure, these aren’t effective or healthy approaches to lowering our stress levels.

The best way to de-stress is to engage my brain and my body in something that I enjoy; and something that doesn’t involve deadlines or meeting someone else’s standards. In other words, I need a hobby.

Narrowing the List of Hobbies

Of course, with thousands of hobby ideas floating around the internet and my own social circle, I first needed to make a list of hobbies that would meet my priorities. For instance;

I’m looking for an activity I could set aside as a moment’s notice …

Fascinated by the Human Psyche? Tune in to Psych Week on Discovery Fit & Health

I am a reality/documentary television series junkie. I started small by watching an episode of A&E’s Intervention here and there, then that turned in to watching mini-marathons when A&E added new episodes that you could watch in full on their website, then I started watching entire seasons on a loop when I saw that they were on Netflix Watch Instantly. I then went on to Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew on VH1, and then the six episodes of TLC’s Addicted and I’m still making my way through Obsessed and Hoarders, both also products of A&E. It seems I have turned into a person completely and totally fascinated by the human psyche.

I was not always so fascinated by the way in which our minds work, either from birth or after times of trauma or distress. I …