Mood bracelets have become an increasingly popular accessory over the past few years. These colorful bracelets are designed to help the wearer track their emotions and moods throughout the day. But what do all those different colors actually mean?
What Are Mood Bracelets and How Do They Work
A mood bracelet, also sometimes called an emotion bracelet or mood ring, is a piece of jewelry that is designed to indicate the emotional state or mood of the wearer. Mood bracelets work through the use of thermochromic liquid crystals that are embedded in a clear or colored stone on the bracelet.
These thermochromic crystals are sensitive to changes in temperature. As the temperature of your skin changes slightly throughout the day, the crystals pick up on these shifts and change color. Each color is associated with a particular mood or emotional state.
For example, when you’re feeling relaxed and happy, your skin temperature rises slightly. This causes the mood bracelet stone to turn a green, blue, or purple color. On the other hand, feeling stressed makes your skin temperature drop a bit, which might turn the stone gray, black, or brown.
Most mood bracelet packaging comes with a color chart that shows the connected meaning for each band hue. So by glancing down at your wrist during the day, you can check your bracelet’s color and determine your current mood.
How Accurate Are Mood Bracelets?
The accuracy of mood bracelets has been widely debated. Some critics argue they are nothing more than pseudoscience jewelry. However, most research suggests that while they shouldn’t be used as medical devices, mood bracelets can help increase self-awareness.
One study compared mood bracelet readings to participants’ biofeedback. They found the bracelets could accurately detect general shifts between higher energy positive emotions and lower energy negative feelings. However, measurements didn’t always align with the exact mood reported by participants.
So in summary, mood bracelets seem decently effective at noting mental energy and larger emotional changes. But their color readings aren’t precise enough to use as a therapy tool or replace self-evaluation of your personal feeling states.
Common Mood Bracelet Color Meanings
While exact colors and definitions can vary slightly based on bracelet brand, most mood bracelets feature some standard shades and associated meanings. Here is an overview of the most common mood bracelet color codes:
Black
A black colored mood bracelet stone typically means you’re feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. It can also indicate nervousness. Essentially, the darker color translates to more negative emotions.
Grey
Similar to black, a gray mood bracelet indicates stressed or anxious feelings. However, the lighter color means these emotions are less intense. Being busy and feeling somewhat unfocused can also turn the band this neutral hue.
Brown
Brown is another color linked to feeling bored, distracted, or somewhat emotionally turbulent. However, while the darker black and gray hues indicate stronger stress, brown usually just means disinterest or lack of excitement.
Blue
Seeing a blue color emerge on your mood bracelet suggests feelings of relaxation and contentment. You may feel peaceful, tranquil, or generally positive when blue is present. Essentially, blue conveys a happy, mellow mood.
Green
Similar to blue tones, green on a mood bracelet translates to cheerfulness, vitality, pleasure, and engagement. You likely feel focused, enthusiastic, and high energy when this vibrant tone emerges.
Yellow
Bright yellow signals joy, optimism, laughter, creativity, and clarity. This is one of the most positive bracelet colors. Yellow means you probably feel mentally stimulated and upbeat.
Purple
A purple or violet bracelet color indicates a romantic, imaginative mood. You may feel creative inspiration, magical thinking, flirtatiousness, or attraction. Purple shows your emotions are active in a positive, alluring way.
Pink
Pink bracelet stones mean you’re feeling romantic, caring, hopeful, or compassionate. Similar to purple, seeing pink emerge shows your emotions are open and positive towards relationships.
As you can see, mood bracelet colors can span quite a wide array of meanings. In general, darker tones translate to more negative moods while brighter, secondary colors signal positivity and high energy mental states.
Interpreting Your Mood Based on Mood Bracelet Colors
Learning the various emotional meanings behind mood bracelet color changes allows you to effectively track your inner experience throughout the day. So how do you actually go about interpreting the story your bracelet is sharing?
Start by Establishing a Baseline
When you first get your mood bracelet, make sure to wear it for a few days straight during your regular routine. Take note of what colors most commonly emerge and when shifts happen.
Tracking the hues you see when simply relaxing vs working, enjoyable activities vs obligations, etc will help give you an idea of what your natural mood baseline looks like. This makes it easier to spot significant mood changes.
Take Notes on Color Shifts
As you wear your bracelet through different situations, make a point to periodically glance down and take note when colors change. If you transition from cheerful green to stressed black, quickly jot down any contextual details.
Did the shift happen during a tense meeting? In the middle of an anxiety provoking task? Or relaxing at home after work? Understanding what may have triggered the change provides clues to mood influencers.
Reflect on Patterns Over Time
Eventually patterns may start to emerge. You may notice certain recurring events or activities reliably spark specific color changes. Reflecting on these lifestyle influences can promote greater self-awareness.
For example, seeing blue and green hues consistently shift to gray or black during encounters with a difficult friend might indicate that relationship causes negativity. You could then set better boundaries.
Use your bracelet findings to inform positive well-being choices. Let the visible mood data lead you to healthier changes. With time and daily reflection, your bracelet can become an invaluable mental health tool.
It’s also important to note combo hues. Sometimes mood bracelets turn a blend of colors at once. This may indicate feeling several emotions concurrently or a state of emotional flux.
Make sure to track any insight into mixed moods too. Comparing combo shade days against times your bracelet showed solid blocks of color can reveal helpful emotional patterns
While they shouldn’t replace self-evaluation or therapy, mood bracelets and their revealing color changes provide an interesting route to greater self-understanding. Through consistent tracking and reflection, those colored stones on your wrist just might lead you to key insights about your inner emotional landscape.