When Giving Backfires: Healing the Anxiety of Overgiving

This episode starts with a conversation with my mom, who has spent a lifetime quietly serving others and finding real joy in it. But for me, giving didn’t always bring peace — it often brought guilt, pressure, and anxiety. If service is supposed to make us happier, why can it sometimes feel so heavy? I open up about my own dysfunctional relationship with giving, how it was harming rather than helping, and what finally shifted. Learn the two major blocks that might be keeping you from experiencing the mental health benefits of kindness — and how to turn giving into a powerful, joyful tool for emotional healing.00:30 – Welcome & Introduction00:52 – My Mom’s Service and What She Gains From It 9:19 – When Service Becomes a Burden10:58 – The Global Science of Kindness12:29 – Learning to Put My Oxygen Mask on First16:09 – Choice vs Obligation in Service21:56 – Kindness Narrative: Making a Support FundFor full episode, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/when-giving-backfires-healing-the-anxiety-of-overgivingSend us Fan Mail🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com