Dark Blue is the world’s most relaxing colour, a global study has recently revealed.

It comes on the back of a 2018 survey by the Mental Health Foundation, which revealed nearly three quarters of Britons have felt overwhelmed by stress in the last year.

In addition, the study found orange is the happiest colour, while pink is the ‘sexiest’. [Read 5 ways to use Millennial Pink].

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These findings are from an international study of more than 26,000 people from more than 100 countries by fine paper company G.F. Smith.

Survey respondents were asked to name the word they most associate  with a colour.

Making use of algorithms, GF Smith established which colours had the strongest associations with different words.

The survey revealed, globally, people associate ‘strong’ with shades of blue, red and orange.

“Calmness” was inspired by  dark blues, turquoises and pinks, while notions of the future were associated with shades of green.

Joint managing director of G.F.Smith John Haslam said: “Colour has always had an intrinsic relationship with our culture and is woven into our consciousness.

“The story of colour maps a particular history through our cultural development — telling a much larger story about the way we perceive, value and cherish colour.  

“The study underlined that colour is as much about substance as it is about beauty.

“The fascinating results and their relevance are shared in the report — inspiring the world to think differently about the role and value of colour in our lives.” 

The project was supported by London design consultancy Made Thought.

Creative director of Made Thought Ben Park commented: “Colour shapes our visual culture in a way that nothing else can. It is at the heart of our visual experience as human beings.

“This pioneering project provides a truly international celebration of the delicate nuances that influence our relationship with colour.” 

Read more about how colour is making a comeback in the bathroom.