“What we believe about ourselves affects everything in our lives…everything is interrelated and interdependent, so, when one thing changes everything else starts to change to” – Tracey Redmond, the founder of style coaching.
So, if we simply start to change our appearance can it really change our mental health?
Mental health is a complex matter and effects us all in very different ways and levels, but we do all have one thing in common and that is that we all have a external and internal self image. Our external self image is based on reality and our internal self-image is the image that is created in our imagination from beliefs about ourselves. The internal self image is the important one as it affects how we think, feel and do.
There are several areas that are effected by self image these include: relationships, experience, health, environment, thoughts and appearance.
Appearance is a key starting point for change and one that a style coach can help you with..
As women we generally tend to have a very low opinion of our internal self image leading us to criticise our external appearance harshly! We are 100% our worst critic.
Absolutely nobody else is bothered about how you look, they are too pre-occupied worrying about how they look! If they do happen to be bothered enough to make negative comments then that’s just because they actually feel worse about themselves than you do.
We look in the mirror, if we even own one, and only see the bits we dislike, that magnifies into hate and then is all we can focus on and think out, so the image of ourselves in our mind becomes more real to us than the image we see in the mirror.
This leads to false beliefs that limit us and distort our personalities ‘I cant do this’ ‘I’m not good enough’ we may become shy, lacking in self-confidence and un-naturally introverted.
A style coach can help you start to change your internal self image by getting you to focus on your positive features, I guarantee you have lots, and start to accept your amazing body that is there to nurture you, support you and see you through life. No-one else will be with you for as long as you will be, so its worth making friends with yourself!
By talking through your lifestyle, personality traits, likes and dislikes a style coach can help you start a journey of acceptance and re-discovery.
Colours are amazing at lifting our mood and by learning to choose the colours that you love and that enhance your own colourings, you look youthful and uplifted.
Actually knowing your body shape and understanding how to dress it to flatter, balance and emphasis your positive attributes helps you feel so much clearer and confident about how to put outfits together.
Delving a bit deeper into your individual style and how you want to look, what you want to wear and how to reflect who you are inside is what makes you feel authentic in your clothes.
Ideally once our personality is a reflection of our true selves we are then living authentically.
Working with a style coach is not just a fun thing to do, which it is, but it’s so much more than that. It’s self care!
As I said earlier there are many levels to mental health but this is how I feel your appearance can increase your confidence, lift your mood and give you that ‘don’t give a damn’ ‘I feel amazing’ attitude for life!
Thanks for reading
