What does it mean to be a People Pleaser? Well, as a recovering People Pleaser myself, I can tell you. People Pleasers have an almost insatiable need to be liked by others and are overly concerned with what people think of them. We can also be afraid of not meeting the expectations that we perceive others have of us and then disappointing these people. If you are a People Pleaser, you can be agreeable to a fault, not actually expressing your true opinions and instead going with the flow or adopting the popular opinions for the sake of not rocking the boat.
What are the negative effects of being a People Pleaser? When you are in people pleasing mode, you are not acting in accordance with who you truly are as a person. This is because you are ignoring the very important information your intuition is giving you. As a result, you experience varying levels of stress, anxiety, or even complete burn-out. Your self-confidence suffers because you operate from a place of dis-empowerment. Resentment towards others can build because you are not taking care of your own needs. People pleasers can also be risk adverse, which leads to feeling “stuck” in your career or life. You are not acting as an authentic leader because you lack sufficient boundaries, transparency, and courage.
What is the greatest benefit of letting go of the People Pleaser mindset? When your inner needs are met and you are leading and giving to others from a place of inner fulfillment, you will have more meaningful energy to give. This means you will be a more fully present and effective leader, colleague, parent, and friend.
3 Ways to Squash Your Inner People Pleaser
1. Address more of your needs than the needs of others on a daily basis.
Make a list of your actions from the day. Your list addressing your own needs should be longer– or contain more substantial & meaningful items– than those things that address the needs of others. If addressing the needs of others outweigh your own, what can you do tomorrow to make sure you nurture more of your own needs?
2. Increase Your Awareness by Taking a People Pleasing Inventory.
Figure out what your triggers are for having a people pleasing relapse. Certain people? Environments? At work more than in your personal life? Count how many times you people please in a day. Awareness is the key step in getting rid of your inner People Pleaser.
3. Play the Disappointment game: Disappoint someone every day.
Now I am not suggesting that you go out and intentionally be a jerk. When you are acting in accordance with your own needs, expressing your own opinions, and setting your boundaries, you are actually being kind to both yourself and others. So, you might unintentionally “disappoint” someone along the way even when you do so in a kind way. Practice being ok with this.
Keep this in mind: On your way to People Pleasing recovery, make sure you do not apologize for things that do not warrant an apology. People pleasing comes with lots of “so sorry, but’s” especially when you are in the process of taking actions to stop people pleasing. Do not say “sorry” to anyone unless you truly need to ask for forgiveness.
Watch my recent Live TV Interview on People Pleasing HERE