Color Psychology.  What Does It Say About You?

Does color really affect our physiological and psychological well-being? Let’s have a little fun as we will look at color, and how it relates to our moods, our choices, and the message color sends to others.

We know that color can:

·      Send a powerful positive or negative message

·      It can encourage sales by drawing our attention to objects

·      It can calm a crowd, or calms a patient in the hospital

·      It can energize us

Test #1 Personality Choice Related to Your Favorite Color

Choose from these colors

RED, BLUE, GREEN, BLACK, PINK

Here are the generally accepted symbolism of the color you choose:

·      RED- You have a zest for life.  It says you are intense, competitive, daring and passionate

·      BLUE- This is the color of tranquility and peace.  It says you are cool and confident and have a high sense of responsibility. You might be a perfectionist in nature

·      GREEN-You are stable and balanced and love to grow and be enriched.  You are a joiner and a team player.  You are kind and generous.

·      BLACK- You see yourself as worldly, or sophisticated, or conventional. You are clever, strong & have a good head when it comes to making decisions. Prestige is important to you.

·      PINK- You are talented, charming and warm.  You have lots of drive and are a romantic.

Test #2:  Does Your Car Color Define Your Personality?

The 2004 Dupont Automotive Color Popularity report of owner’s personality related to car color choices.

·      Silver: Elegant, loves to be futuristic

·      White: Neat and tidy

·      Light to Mid-Blue: Cool, calm faithful, quiet

·      Dark Blue: Credible, confident, dependable

·      Red: Sexy, high energy and dynamic

·      Black: Empowered, loves elegance, appreciates classics

·      Gray: Sober, corporate, practical

·      Dark Green: Traditional, well balanced

·      Yellow: Trendy, lively, whimsical

·      Gold: Intelligent warm, loves comfort

·      Brown: Down to earth, no nonsense

                

Does gender effect your sleep?

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Does gender have anything to do with your sleep patterns? 

You may think that both sexes tend to be the same, but research indicates there are some dramatic differences between men and women.

• MEN need 6.2 hours of sleep while WOMEN report they need 6.8 hours to do their best.
• MEN tend to have more sleep apnea, while WOMEN tend to have more insomnia
• MEN tend to stay up later and WOMEN tend to get up earlier and are morning people
• WOMEN tend to get more of a deeper sleep than men and wake up fewer times during the night
• WOMEN tend to be less effected by loss of sleep when it comes to mental exams vs. men
• WOMEN fall asleep in 9.3 minutes and MEN typically take 23.2 minutes to fall asleep                

       Here are some tips for improved sleep:

• · Learn your sleep position and get into that position once you get into bed. Take some deep breathes, relax and your body will think it is time to go to sleep
• · Skip the afternoon coffee treats and remember that caffeine can effect you for up to 8 hours after consumption.
• · Go right to bed when you are tired. Don’t sit and work at the computer or watch TV for another hour . It doesn’t matter if it’s still light out, or if it is 2 hours early… when your body says sleep, it’s time.
• · Exercise early and eat early. Exercising at night gets you reved up and eating late keeps your body working to digest and absorb and that tends to keep you up.

Request or Demand

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Requests or Demands?

REQUESTS...Many people have them, but how many people are comfortable asking for what they want? It’s not easy to ask, but some people are very good at making requests and tonight we will help you become comfortable with “the ask.”

What are some of the common things that keep us from asking for what we want?

·    Fears: Many people don’t ask for what they need or what because it makes them feel vulnerable, exposed, and risk being rejected. Many people say they feel insecure, inadequate and feel a loss of control when they make a request.
· Old patterns: Many people feel uncomfortable asking for their needs because they have been told it is not okay to ask, or perhaps they were told that they were undeserving, or for many they believe there will be negative effects of asking for needs. Some people feel they can’t ask for their needs because it is demanding something that they don’t deserve.
· Unclear desires: Many people have difficulty asking for what they need because they are unclear on the specifics of what they really want. When you make vague requests people are uncertain what you really want or need.
· Destructive thoughts: Many people don’t ask for their needs because they create destructive thought patterns in their heads that limit their ability to ask. Some it is self-centered to ask for your needs, or that people should know what you want without asking. Others assume that someone would say “no” so why even ask, while others don’t want to feel needy or appear weak.
You mentioned some people confuse demands with requests. What is the difference between demands and requests?
· Request: There is an understanding that with a request a person has a right to choose to say “Yes” or “No”. With a request there is the understanding that there is no fear, shame or guilt involved no matter what the answer
· Demand: A demand implies there is a threat or that something negative will happen in some form of retribution.
· In fact the key word is FREE… a request is where someone feels free to ask no matter what the answer vs. demand that holds no freedom on ransom.

What are the elements of an effective request?

·        Know what t you want before you ask. Make sure your want is consistent with what you really say. For instance. If you want someone to help you with a task be certain you know what you want from them and what you need
· Be specific. If you want help with a task, be sure you are specific about the specifics about the task. Break it down and tell them exactly what you’d like and when you would like help.
· Remember if it is a request, the person may say no and it is important that you have a back up plan or strategy
· You have a right to make a request. Remember that if you receive a NO… the message is about the sender and not about you.

Kokology- Clear Blue Skies

Kokology


Here's another example of Kokology, a Japanese projective test that tells you a little about some of your hidden gifts.

This one is called "Clear Blue Skies."

Imagine a clear blue sky tonight, without a cloud to be found. Imagine what is below your clear blue sky and pick the landscape that is the most calming and relaxing for you.
* A snowy expanse
* A blue seascape
* A green mountain
* A field of yellow flowers

Which one did you chose?

* A snowy expanse: You have a special sensitivity that lets you see complex situations in a glance and determine the root of the concerns. You have what it takes to be a great decision-maker and you are a visionary. Trust your intuition and that will guide you well
* A blue seascape: You have a natural talent for relationships and people respect your ability to communicate as you bring people together. You help others work together smoothly and you are an invaluable part of a team. When you compliment people it means the world to them
* A green mountain: Your gift is expressive communication. You always seem to be able to understand how people feel and you can help them articulate how they feel. You always seem to be able to help others find their way.
* A field of yellow flowers: You are a storehouse of knowledge and creativity and you are always bursting with ideas. You never stop working on your dreams and there is nothing you can't achieve.
So did these fit for you? Remember, there is something wonderful in each of you, if you will just look inside and see what's inside.

De-Stress Your Life

De-stress your life

Can stress really be good for us?

·         Stress – eustress is actually something that can be a motivator. It can get us moving and push us to peak performance.
· People who experience “good” stress have increased blood flow and our muscles and limbs meet the challenge. The perfect example of “good” stress on a body is aerobic exercise.
· “Good” stress tends to push us to meet mental challenges, be creative and can create opportunities for us to exceed our normal functioning at rest.
What does bad stress do to us?
· Physical: It constricts our blood vessels, it raises our blood pressure and we tend to feel dizzy
· Reactions: Many people have lapses in judgement, make poor choices, raise their voices & feel angry, feel cold in their extremities as blood flows to other parts of their body
· Mental: Creates heightened anxiety that tends to create ruminating thoughts, thoughts of horror & fear, and the inability to concentrate.

What are some techniques for calming our stress levels?

· In a 2011 study 62% of people reported that changing their thoughts made a difference. The key was changing thoughts and focusing on the positive. Self-talk and reframing the situation into a “can-do” statement is powerful
· Evaluating the situation. 56% of those who were aware and acknowledged their stressor found that it reduced the stress level. When we ignore symptoms our body builds up the stressors and it can be destructive to our physical and mental health
· Knowing your weaknesses. 52% of the study noted that just knowing what stressed them out was helpful to avoid concerns.
· Recharge: 38% of the respondents said that focusing on recharging was helpful to lowering stress. Recharging included doing things such as exercise, relaxing, or doing something fun.
· Therapy can teach you Proven techniques: Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises and learning techniques of biofeedback have proven to be exceptional methods for lowering stress. These techniques can be learned in therapy and become useful ways to lower stress whenever and wherever it is experienced.