Light, Color, and the Nervous System

Noticing how our environments speak to the body.

@cizucu_photo

Hi loves,

I’ve been thinking a lot about how our external environment plays a huge role in shaping our internal world. How our surroundings impact the way we move through life, how safe our body feels, and how we experience our emotions and moods. In essence, how light and color affect our nervous system.

As someone who researches nervous system regulation, and deeply believes that a calm, regulated system creates the foundation for learning, healing, creativity, growth and manifestation, I’ve been reflecting on how we design our spaces as a collective society.

As a nervous system researcher, I’m endlessly curious about the impact subtle things can have on us, and how small changes in our environment, like the use of color, texture, and light, can improve our lives in meaningful ways.

Many of us move through the world without realizing how deeply the spaces we inhabit affect us. Our homes, workspaces, learning environments, even the clothes we wear, can profoundly influence our nervous system.

This week I’m exploring how light and color affect your mood, body and nervous system, and how you can use this awareness to support a greater sense of ease and well-being.

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I was first drawn into this topic after seeing the rise of LED light therapy masks in the skincare world. If you're not someone who gets targeted skincare ads, let me enlighten you: in the last few years, these masks have become popular for their claims to improve the look and feel of skin by using specific colors of light for 10–20 minutes a day.

I was curious. How could light alone have such a dramatic effect?

So I started digging into the science. What I found is that these masks actually do impact the skin, each color of light penetrates at a different depth and frequency and has distinct effects. For example:

Red light: Improves circulation, and reduces inflammation. It supports wound healing and scar reduction. Green light: Has a calming effect and promotes lymphatic drainage. Blue light: Stays at the surface and kills acne-causing bacteria.

Different wavelengths of light (color) penetrate the body to varying depths. Red and near infrared light, have longer wavelengths, and reach muscles and even bone. Blue and violet light have shorter wavelengths, and stay on the surface of the skin. But this essay isn’t about skincare.

@melisaates2004

What struck me was this: if different colors of light can penetrate the skin and create biological change, what might they be doing to our nervous system? And if all color is a reflection of light, could color itself affect us on a cellular level?

If you’re feeling depressed, could wearing a certain color, or surrounding yourself with certain hues, actually shift your mood?

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Yes, light and color affect us at a cellular level, not just through the skin, but also through the eyes and brain. When light enters the eyes, it sends signals directly to the brain, influencing the nervous system. This process helps regulate our circadian rhythm, hormone production, and overall mood.

Blue light in the morning helps with alertness and mood by increasing serotonin and cortisol. Red or amber light in the evening supports melatonin production and prepares the body for sleep. Your nervous system is extremely sensitive to light and different colors of light serve different functions.

I found that color doesn’t just affect us through direct light exposure, it affects us visually, too. Our brains and nervous systems are constantly interpreting color and responding, often without us realizing it.

@uncannish