What Color is Your Emotion?

What color is your emotion?

The other morning I felt rage... but it wasn’t rage. It was a different color. Similar intensity but came from a positive, empowered place. I found it fascinating that I used the word rage to describe this emotion, but it was the best comparison I could find. I couldn’t put an accurate label on it but I could put a color to it - vibrant blue.

We perceive and interpret emotions just as we perceive and interpret colors.

See an object with a distinct color, pull in the light pattern/frequency, and interpret in our mind what the color is. Label the color and move forward.

Same with emotions. Feel an energetic sensation in the body, interpret that feeling in our mind, and give a name to the emotion - anger, joy, sadness, etc.

Over the years of practice and identifying colors, learning different shades of color, using colors to paint and as a topic of conversation, we have become quite astute with our ability to identify, interpret and accurately name colors.

We don’t not learn about emotions in the same way. Emotions are not quite as concrete as colors. Emotions blend and shape shift. Emotions can also be challenged by others. We do not practice identifying emotions like we practice color. Emotions fade out of conversation. Our interpretation of emotions can get challenged by others. This makes it difficult to accurately identify if color/emotion that we feel.

The positive is that we can practice and improve our emotional literacy. We can use tools like meditation, body awareness, emotional intelligence, and conversation to become more astute with our emotions.

Use visualizations to add specific details of how you are feeling. What does that sensation in your body look like? What does that feeling in your stomach feel like as far as size, density, texture? What is the color of your emotion?

In the comments, take a moment to feel into your body. What color is your present emotion?