A higher shade of pay

How colours can increase your productivity

• Seeing red at the office is actually a good thing

• A higher shade of pay

• The colour of money isn’t green, it’s red. Or blue, actually. New research states that certain colours improve your work productivity in different areas, so the right shade can turn a grey day in the office into a very good one. According to a study published in the journal Science, seeing the colour red makes you more accurate, and blue increases your creativity. Researchers at Columbia University, New York, tested 600 people and found that office workers shown red shades performed better on spellchecking tests, whereas those given the blues were far superior at tasks requiring creativity.
  
  Seeing red will help you in the boardroom as well. Durham University discovered that Olympic boxers wearing red vests were victorious 60% of the time against blue-topped opponents of similar ability. The advantage was credited to the colour’s association with dominance. Whether you’re a red braces power-player or an inventive, blue sky thinker, instant success is all down to you.
  
  Net cost
  Pantone mug, £7.90, w2products.com
  
  Net gain
  Precision with numbers, more ideas and 60% more chance of getting your bonus. As long as you pick the right colour on the right day...