THE LIE WE LEARN AS CHILDREN ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S EMOTIONS (And The Hidden Ego Behind People Pleasing)

In this episode of RAW CHATTER, I’m talking about the lie many of us learn as children:That we are responsible for other people’s emotions.This belief often shows up as people pleasing, over-apologising, over-explaining, avoiding honesty, saying yes when we mean no, and constantly worrying about how we are being perceived.But this is not as simple as “people pleasing is bad”.For many people, especially neurodivergent people, highly sensitive people, or those who experience rejection sensitivity, people pleasing can become a survival strategy. A way to avoid conflict, rejection, criticism, or feeling emotionally unsafe.In this episode, I explore:➡️ Why children are often taught to prioritise other people’s comfort over their own➡️ How people pleasing can become part of your identity➡️ Why people pleasing can feel caring, but often comes from anxiety➡️ The hidden ego behind worrying what everyone thinks➡️ Why trying to manage other people’s feelings is so exhausting➡️ How resentment builds when you abandon yourself➡️ Why other people’s emotions do not belong to you➡️ How to start noticing where you are managing perception instead of speaking truthQuestions to ask yourself:1. How often are you managing perception instead of expressing the truth?2. How often are you editing yourself to avoid discomfort?3. How often are you trying to earn approval by abandoning yourself?4. How much time do you spend thinking about what other people think, feel or need?5. How much time do you spend asking yourself what you actually think, feel and want?6. And if you stopped constantly managing other people’s emotions, how much energy would you get back?This episode is for anyone who overthinks conversations, fears being misunderstood, struggles to say no, or feels exhausted from being “the nice one”.Other people’s feelings do not belong to you.Your feelings do.Vicky xxJoin my newsletter:https://tinyurl.com/2jbbmtuvEmail me:[email protected] a call:https://tidycal.com/vicky1/30-minute-chatVisit my website:https://vickymidwood.comABOUT MEI’m Vicky Midwood, a behavioural strategist, integrative health coach and consultant.I help high-performing business owners, professionals and leaders understand how they think, feel and function, so they can stop coping through food, alcohol, overwork, perfectionism or people pleasing and start living the life they actually want, not the one they think they should.RAW CHATTER is about addiction, recovery, mental health, human behaviour, resilience and reinvention - without the fluff