We’ve all seen (and possibly use) the mindfulness colouring books, and heard about the benefits like:

  • Your brain resembles that of a meditative state
  • Stress and anxiety levels can be lowered
  • Negative thoughts decrease
  • Unplugging from technology increases creativity
  • You can do it anywhere and it requires no training

The Empowerment Cycle uses the same principles for charting. Encouraging you to take some time out, pull out your colouring in pencils and just draw and write. Colour psychology can be used to help build strong, clear patterns in your cycle.

So what colours should you use for your charting?

After you have filled your sections with words to describe your feelings, you may wish to use colours in your chart. Colour has been used throughout history to link us with different images.

Red

Red is colour that is obvious for menstruation. It is playful and stimulating, passionate, aggressive, important.

As a dominating colour, red adds gravity and heightened awareness – quite literally, as the colour increases blood circulation, breathing rates, and metabolism.

Red can take on a variety of meanings, associated with both love and war, but the unifying factor in all meanings is a sense of importance. Think of the red carpet.

Orange

Playful, energy, joy, creativity, warm & vibrant

Sharing red’s energising aspects, but to a safer degree, orange is a good way to add excitement. It is generally playful, and it can even signify health, suggesting vitality and vibrance.

Yellow

Happy, friendly, fun, energy, and joy

Yellow is often associated with happiness, like red and orange, it’s able to stimulate and revitalise.

Lighter shades play on the happiness aspects, reminding users of summer and the sun. Darker shades, including gold, add more weight and give a sense of antiquity.

Green

Natural, stable, prosperous, balanced and harmonising, natural and earthy

Green mostly represents the environment and outdoors, for obvious reasons, making it the clear choice to suggest nature and an organic quality.

As the bridge between stimulating, warm colours (red, orange, yellow) and calming, cool colours (blue, purple), green is the most balanced of colours, lending it an air of stability. It is one that represents nature.

Blue

Serene, trustworthy, inviting

Blue is the colour of trust. Blue is the colour of calm and serenity, and as such inspires security and a feeling of safety. The calming effects also make blue a friendly and inviting colour.

Light blue is the colour of water and the sky, so it generally has a refreshing and free feeling – and can be even energising if bright enough, while still retaining that reliable calm.

Darker blues tend to be more sombre, heightening the security aspects, which makes them an excellent choice for professionalism.

Purple

Mysterious, romantic, passionate, deep, cooling for when you are frustrated

Lighter shades of purple – especially lavender – bring to mind spring and romance. Darker shades add more mystery, and can even symbolise creativity. Darkening the shade will also turn the romantic elements more sensual.

Pink

Feminine, young, innocent, self-love, feminine, softening & open

Most people interpret pink as feminine, its links with childhood and with sugary treats give pink a sweet, sometimes innocent appeal. It is also traditionally used with love and romantic themes, alongside red and light purple.

Brown

Earthy, sturdy, rustic

A colour associated with the earth and trees, brown can add an outdoorsy feel, maximised by a pairing with green. The tree connotations also give a sturdy and reliable feeling.

Black

Powerful, sophisticated, edgy, dark, repressed and closed

As the strongest of all colours, much like purple, black adds an air of mystery, though with much bolder confidence.

White

Clean, virtuous, healthy, powerful and focused

As a primary colour, though, white gives off an impression that is both clean and chaste. White has that ‘spotless’ feeling that, for the right site, feels completely effortless. Its association with purity can make it seem virtuous, but also sterile and cold.

Grey

Neutral, formal, gloomy

If black feels too powerful for your mood, try dark grey. If white is too bland, try light grey

Whatever colours you choose, just pick ones that represent emotions, moods and feelings for you! Remember charting is about taking some time for yourself, and it’s all about the way you feel. I love charting myself, so I hope you can enjoy it too.

Pic by agence-olloweb-520953-unsplash