Zesti Hues to Cure Those Winter Blues

Are you a pumpkin spice, cosy round the open fire, christmas carolling lover? Or are you like the rest of us, digging in the cupboard for the saviour that is your SAD lamp and resurrecting your dressing gown that will inevitably become part of your day to day personality over the next 6 months? Regardless if you love or hate the wintertime, the shorter days, colder weather and not to mention the added doom and gloom of the cost of living crisis thanks to Boris and his cronies, can really affect your mood. 

But, as Jon Snow once said, winter is coming, and life, and work, must push on! (If only we had the option to hibernate, right?) There are plenty of life hacks that you can jump on to keep the gloom at bay, taking vit D supplements for instance, or making sure you’ve got plenty of woolly socks and a decent pair of slippers. But these are all physical hacks. Have you ever considered how we might be able to help our minds psychologically? Well, according to science, we can trick our brains into thinking brighter, happier, sunnier thoughts with colour!

Jules Standish, author of, ‘how not to wear black’ wrote, ‘Looking at warm, bright colours, such as red or pink, releases dopamine — known as the “feel-good hormone”. Dopamine has been known to heighten our mood, improve concentration, and even make us feel a little saucy. Cheeky!

The psychological effects that colour can have on our brains is incredible, and research has suggested that simply by wearing brighter colours, and ditching the black, we can actually invigorate our mental health. As a nation, we just love neutral colours, most likely because we’ve learnt that they’re ‘more flattering’ and often easier to pair with the rest of our outfit. But why not mix things up this winter? Switch out the shadows for the sunshine? Ditch the dark for the dazzling. And yes, we’re speaking in Zesti terms… we’re talking about SCRUBS. (Duh?)

A BIT OF HISTORY FOR YA

Did you know scrubs used to be white? White being the ultimate colour of cleanliness, you can see the logic behind it, can’t you? But doing what you lovely lot do, is not at all practical… Jackson Pollock eat your heart out. 

Despite its impracticality, it’s not actually clear why scrubs evolved to be shades of greens and blues, and variations of the two. But, according to an early edition of Surgical Nurse, an influential doctor in the 20th century changed his scrubs to green so it was easier on the eyes of his fellow surgeons. It is also said to have gained popularity because green hues help a surgeon's eyesight adjust to their, dare we say it, rather red environment. Green and red are opposites on the colour wheel which is why, according to LiveScience looking at blue or green can refresh a doctor’s vision of red things, and is also said to stimulate oxytocin, in turn helping to exude a sense of calm in the beholder. 

As you know, we often stray away from the more traditional shades of scrubs for our collections, so we thought it would be fun to look at the psychology behind a couple of our gorgeous Zesti colours and give you an insight as to why we chose them and how they could work to warm your cockles this winter. 

TROPIC

Shall we start with the rather succulent, and refreshing shade, Tropic? This collection is fun, but the bluey hue still gives a polite nod to the old school palette.

It is said that lighter shades of blue are associated with trustworthiness and reliability. No surprises then that for decades light blue colours have been used by healthcare professionals! (Oh, don’t worry about spoiling them, it’s really hard to permanently stain our garments.) Our clever researchers have developed fibre-tech savvy material that can all be washed at 60 degrees without distressing the fabric. It won’t lose its stretch.

Blues might be associated with cool, frosty weather, but Tropic has a more 'south of the equator’ holiday destination, island warmth to it that will brighten your wardrobe no end. 

In terms of psychology blues are meant to signify calmness and serenity. So, dressing yourself in a colour that emits a calming influence could psychologically calm your patients more than you might have considered, as well as uplifting the mood of the room. 

GARNET 

Forget about pretty in pink, these are ready in red! This powerful colour packs a punch. It’s nice to stand out sometimes, and if you want to step into the spotlight this winter inline with a more holiday season aesthetic, these scrubs might be the right direction for you. We have a beautiful palette of rich purples and pinks too that will no doubt zest up your mood!

Also, if you’re a bloke and you still insist on calling your pink shirt ‘salmon’ or ‘maroon’ stop it now please. We see you. (And you look fabulous by the way.) But just assuming pink is a typically feminine colour is not necessarily true. It has been known to represent creativity and artistic expression & euphoria. Oooh la la.

No matter who you are and what you choose to represent this winter, we hope to have a colour that can express it authentically and keep you feeling at your best. Let us know which colour you go for and make sure you tag us in any selfies of you looking fabulous in your Zesti medical scrubs… Just tag us @be_zesti and #morethanmyscrubs

WE LOVE TO SEE IT!

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