Go on, change

WHAT do you see when you look in the mirror? If you hone in on wrinkles rather than a tiny waist, or a spare tyre rather than a fantastic cleavage, chances are you could do with a confidence boost.

And if you are one of the seven in ten of us who struggles with what to wear and what to say when it matters most, then you could definitely do with raising your self esteem.

Which is where image consultant Sally Hanley and life coach Anne Ellis come to hand. The North Yorkshire duo have joined forces to offer top-to-toe coaching in confidence-building, not only tackling how you look, but how you think and feel.

Sally, who has been running her business First Impressions for 14 years, said: "Lots of people suffer from lack of confidence and people might work on their outer image or their inner confidence, but never both, and never at the same time."

Which is why Sally and Anne have set up their Clearly Confident workshops, aiming to give people a complete overhaul.

Anne, a former Reiki healer and counsellor, said: "The workshop looks at the complete person and looks after all their needs."

The first workshop will take place at the end of this month at Towthorpe, near York, and the day-long programme will include sessions on replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, as well as finding the right colours and clothes shapes and styles to make the most of yourself.

Sally said: "People will learn seven steps to help build the new you'. They will come away with a more positive image, confidence skills for life and will discover their own personal brand' - the colours and shapes that suit them best."

Wearing the right clothes, says Sally, can work wonders for boosting your self image. She said: "If somebody wears the right colour, it can enhance your natural colouring which encourages people to say: You look well today' - and all you've done is wear the right shade. That, in turn, gives you a lift because somebody has paid you a compliment."

But it's not all about looking right. Sally added: "Positive body language, or non-verbal communication, makes up 90 per cent of a first impression."

Which is why Sally and Anne believe that the key to looking good is to feel positive about yourself.

The first workshop is for women only, but the pair are considering holding similar sessions for men.

Sally said there were many reasons why people needed a confidence boost, but often they came at a life-changing times.

She said: "The course would appeal to anybody who is interested in self development, or anybody who has lost confidence with their appearance or thought patterns.

"Lots of things can take your confidence away, such as divorce, redundancy, reaching a milestone birthday, or even if you are about to move up a gear - perhaps going out to work again after not having worked for a long time. Such life changes can be unsettling."

The workshop, which will run on Tuesday July 31, from 9.30am to 4pm and includes lunch, costs 150.

It's not cheap, but Sally and Anne believe it does offer real value. Sally said: "That is the sort of amount you would spend for a day of pampering at a spa, which would last a day and might make you feel good for about a week. What we aim to do is give people skills to improve themselves for life."

To find out more or book a place on the next Clearly Confident workshop, telephone Sally on 01904 702734 or Anne on 01423 330965. You can also find out more about their work at www.firstimpressionsuk.co.uk and www.aecoaching.info