Color, Texture, and the Nervous System: Why What We Surround Ourselves With Matters More as We Age

As we move through midlife and beyond, many of us become more sensitive, not less, to our surroundings.

Noise.
Clutter.
Harsh light.
Synthetic materials.

They land differently than they once did.

This isn’t weakness.
It’s awareness.

There is growing evidence from neuroscience and environmental psychology that color, texture, and tactile experiences influence the nervous system, shaping how safe, grounded, and regulated we feel. Our environments don’t just reflect our inner state. They actively participate in it.

How Color and Texture Affect Emotional Well-Being

Color can soothe or stimulate.
Texture can ground or agitate.
Natural materials often signal safety to the body in ways we don’t consciously register.

Soft, warm colors tend to calm the nervous system.
Harsh contrast and visual clutter can increase stress.
Tactile experiences like fabric, wood, clay, and fiber engage sensory pathways that support emotional regulation.

Beyond the science, many women recognize this intuitively.

Why Our Sensitivity Shifts After 50

In this season of life, many women describe a quiet but noticeable shift:

• Less tolerance for overstimulation

• A desire for simplicity and meaning

• A pull toward environments that feel intentional rather than impressive

This isn’t about aesthetics or decoration.
It’s about how the body feels in a space.

As roles change and identities evolve, the nervous system often asks for more honesty and less noise. Color and texture become subtle forms of care, ways of signaling safety, presence, and belonging.

Creativity as Presence, Not Performance

In a recent conversation on the Sexy in Your 60s podcast, abstract mixed-media fiber artist Susan Goldie spoke about working with fabric, stitching, and natural materials not as decoration, but as dialogue.

As a way of listening inward.
As a way of processing emotion without words.

That distinction matters.

So much of women’s health messaging still centers on fixing, optimizing, or managing the body. But there is another layer, one that asks quieter, more powerful questions:

• How does this make me feel?

• What helps me settle?

• What brings me back into myself?

Color and texture are not indulgences.
They are information.

Small Ways to Invite Calm and Grounding

You don’t need to redecorate your home or suddenly identify as “creative” to begin this work.

Start small:

• Notice what colors you’re drawn to lately

• Pay attention to what fabrics feel grounding against your skin

• Choose one object, material, or visual element that supports how you want to feel

This kind of noticing isn’t trivial.
It’s a form of self-respect.

And in midlife and beyond, that may be one of the most powerful practices we have.

From Conversation to Practice

This reflection grew out of a recent Sexy in Your 60s podcast conversation with Susan Goldie, whose work centers on fiber, color, texture, and making as a form of presence and care.

In our conversation, we explored creativity not as something to master or perform, but as something to enter—through materials, process, and attention. We talked about how working with our hands can help regulate the nervous system, support emotional processing, and create a sense of grounding, especially in midlife and beyond.

If you’d like to listen to that conversation, you can find the audio episode here: slant2plants podcast page or on Apple, Spotify or Amazon Music podcast platforms.
If you'd like to watch the video, go to my YouTube Sexy in Your 60s podcast page.

Bonus: Go to the podcast show notes to see a special link to the very special wedding dress Susan made for her daughter-in-law.

Susan also shares behind-the-scenes glimpses of her studio practice, developing work, exhibitions, and new pieces through her newsletter ArtNotes.
You can subscribe at the bottom of her homepage: https://www.susangoldie.com 

As you move through your own days, you don’t need to do anything differently for this to matter. You might simply notice what colors you’re drawn to, what textures feel grounding, and what environments help your body soften.

Sometimes awareness itself is the practice.

Reflection Question

What color, texture, or material in your environment helps your body feel most at ease right now?