Winter is rapidly approaching, which means shorter days, longer nights and less of the abundant sunshine Louisiana is known for. With activities currently restricted during the pandemic, the typical winter conditions can quickly become tiresome.

At Art & Eyes, we have a novel solution: wearing colored sunglasses. Not only is it a fun fashion statement, but wearing colored lenses may actually boost your mood and ease seasonal depression. That’s not bad for an accessory from your favorite local sunglasses store in New Orleans, LA.

How colored sunglasses improve mood

Color therapy might seem a little kooky, but humanity has been associating moods and qualities with color for millennia. Even “warm” and “cool” color designations are part of it. Think about the way you feel when you walk into a room decorated with blues and greens as opposed to red, yellow and orange—cool colors are considered more soothing, while warm colors are stimulating.

Scientific studies actually back this up. Certain kinds of light (remember, colors are all different wavelengths of light) can help with seasonal affective disorder, sleep disorders, depression, PTSD and more. The current research indicates that different colors trigger biochemical and hormonal reactions in your body, which can help soothe mood and sleep issues.

Now think about your favorite pair of colored sunglasses (even if you don’t own a pair yet, we bet you’ve seen them in ads or on the street). If the color turquoise instantly makes you feel calm and relaxed, what would it be like if your entire world was washed in that color? That’s the appeal of colored sunglasses: you can choose colors that make you feel good, and reap the scientifically-proven benefits.

Which colored sunglasses are right for me?

Different colors can help you achieve different reactions. Read on to find out more about your favorite color, or pick a color based on the psychological effect you’re looking for:

• Red: Red is an extremely stimulating color—in fact, it can be agitating to some people. When you need a burst of energy, opt for red glasses.
• Orange: Orange is another stimulating color, which can be too much for people with anxiety. It tends to be more mentally stimulating than red.
• Yellow: Yellow is a cheerful color that can instantly boost your mood—opt for bright canary yellows instead of mustard or goldenrod.
• Green: Green is a good place to start if you’re new to color therapy. It’s balancing, and can help lift you out of a depressed mood.
• Blue: Feeling anxious but not depressed? Blue is a soothing, cool color that can tame your anxious thoughts.
• Purple: Purple is an intensely relaxing color (especially shades on the blue side of the spectrum). Pop on a pair of purple shades when you’re trying to stay mellow.

No matter what color shades you want, Art & Eyes can help you find the perfect pair. Stop by our local sunglasses store in New Orleans, LA today to check out our selection. We look forward to working with you!

Categorised in: Sunglasses

So, there’s been a thought running through my head for the past month or so. It first presented itself when I was driving, and I put on my new sunglasses. Within minutes, I noticed my level of energy drop. And when you’re driving, this is definitely not a good thing. Kind of like how you don’t want a surgeon deciding to drink five cups of coffee right before your brain surgery. Just no.

So I monitored myself for the next month to see if this was a one-time thing or not. I hadn’t really worn sunglasses that much until I bought my own pair recently, so I didn’t know if this was normal for me or not.

And now, a full month or two later, I’ve seen the same thing happen every single time I wear sunglasses. I get tired.

Whether I’m thinking about the experiment or not. Whether I had 5 cups of coffee or not. No matter what the situation, I felt sleepy. And so, like any other person when confronted with a conundrum, I Googled it…and found nothing.

“Luke, how could you find nothing on Google?” You might ask.

To which I respond that I’m an incredibly special individual. And to be fair, I found forums in which people were voicing the same problem, but I found no reputable reason for why this happens. So it was up to me to theorize the answer, and I’m afraid it’s rather a boring one.

The sunglasses trick my mind into thinking it’s close to nighttime.

Yep. I said it was boring, but here’s the slightly more interesting reasoning behind this. Your body has a natural circadian rhythm which means at night you get tired and during the day you feel awake. Take this quote from the National Sleep Foundation:

A part of your hypothalamus (a portion of your brain) controls your circadian rhythm. That said, outside factors like lightness and darkness can also impact it. When it’s dark at night, your eyes send a signal to the hypothalamus that it’s time to feel tired. Your brain, in turn, sends a signal to your body to release melatonin, which makes your body tired. That’s why your circadian rhythm tends to coincide with the cycle of daytime and nighttime.

So my theory is that the sunglasses start to trigger the release of melatonin in my body for some weird reason. Maybe it’s due to my experiences with mental illness. Or maybe I’m just odd. Or maybe everyone feels it to one degree or another. We’ll probably never know.

If you’ve felt this too, comment below and we celebrate our oddness together! Or if you have an answer to this question, I’d love to hear it.

Goodbye, sunglasses. I’ll be thinking about you every single sunny California day.