Colors are great ways to add life and personality to your wardrobe, living space, or makeup routine—and they can also be powerful symbols, ways of enhancing a specific emotion or energy.

If you’re looking to add to one of these areas of your life, you might find that wearing one of these colors or surrounding yourself with objects of the same shade will do just that.

This idea is rooted in color psychology, an ancient art that has become a valuable marketing tool today.

1. Confidence: Red

Red is traditionally associated with rage as well as love. Connected to these most dramatic of human emotions, red can literally raise blood pressure and increase metabolism—the reason it’s used for stop signs—and so out of any color, this is most certain to make an impact. There’s a reason why a pop of red lipstick has long been a signifier of power, why red is the best color for a first date.

2. Calm: Blue

Studies have shown that blue rooms can actually help out with insomnia, and in general, blue is a way to slow down one’s pulse and cool our more fiery emotions. Blue tends to be associated with safety and stability, and can signify trustworthiness.

3. Health: Green

Green is the color of the earth, which makes it a natural choice if you’re looking to rejuvenate parts of yourself or your life. According to some research, green is a restful color to look at because the eye focuses this color directly on the retina.

4. Sophistication: Purple

Purple is often associated with spirituality, and it’s just as often linked to refinement and royalty. So if you’re looking to embody your higher self in any way, purple is a great choice. It can also represent wisdom and bravery — AKA all the good things. It emanates the strongest electromagnetic wavelength of any color, making it sometimes difficult to detect, but this adds to its aura of mystery and curiosity.

5. Inspiration: Yellow

Yellow can be a risky color, as it’s not everybody’s favorite. So you might want to avoid wearing it to a job interview or painting your wall yellow. However, yellow can energize us and enliven our minds. It can also make us hungry — which is why many fast food chains heavily favor it. A very attention-grabbing color, yellow can also be fatiguing if used too much. Evoking everything from cheer to frustration, yellow is a color to be used with care — but it can do just the trick if used correctly.

Van Gogh sunflowers Masterpiece by Numbers