Thinking of adding a splash of color to your workspace? Choose wisely and you may experience some unexpected psychological benefits. According to the New York Times, subconscious associations with the color of our environments have a measurable effect on our performance at various tasks. You may be able improve your own performance by putting these increasingly popular color trends to work for you!
Red. Does your work demand accuracy, precision, and attention to detail? Consider choosing a fine art print featuring the color red as a way to re-focus your space. Psychological research suggests that seeing the color red while completing tasks requiring memory, attention to detail, or proofreading skills improves average performance. Why does this happen? Perhaps it’s because we subconsciously associate this color with the red pen marks of our childhood teachers, attacking each and every flaw on a math test. Perhaps it reminds us of the attention-commanding red of a stop sign.
Blue. Is your job about thinking outside the box? Try adding blue pieces to your office walls to help get your creativity flowing. Participants in the above study showed increased performance in tasks requiring imagination and creative problem solving. Have you noticed how many of your best creative ideas come when you are most relaxed—just before falling asleep, or while taking a shower? Blue, a color often associated with calmness and cleanliness, can help you relax into your most innovative and productive self in the workplace.
Tip: Did you know you can search by color to find just the right image for your decorating goals? Try it out at http://www.liebermans.net/colorview.aspx.
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