The Hidden Toll of People Pleasing

Let’s talk about people pleasing.

How might it be showing up in areas of your life that you don’t recognize? How might that be impacting your eating and long-term weight goals?

When I was coming up with my own New Year’s goals and reflections, I realized that these past few years, I wasn’t doing what I personally needed. I was wearing myself out by making sure everything else got done, except my self care.

How do you recognize these behaviours in yourself? As physicians, we are prone to people pleasing at a level that might not be as overt.  We show up early, stay late, work in the evenings to catch on paperwork and attend #allthemeetings all to be sure we are doing a good job.  This often extends to home as well. Sometimes the guilt about working long hours, makes us want to go above and beyond at home.  To be the perfect parent and the great spouse. But we do it all without taking time to replenish our selves.

Are you putting others above yourself, overworking, and always saying yes? Ask yourself why. Keep asking yourself why until you get a true answer.

This people pleasing behaviour creates a background of discomfort. A stress that is always there. This can be a powerful driver to overeat.

So, how do you fix these behaviours? It starts with awareness, prioritizing your true needs, and understanding that in every situation, you have a choice.

You can start small by looking at one area to begin with. Everything doesn’t have to change at once. Remember that “no” is a complete sentence.

Find out more and join the Stress Eating SOS program at: https://weightsolutionsforphysicians.ca/sos