Episode
26. People-Pleasing at Work: Why You Can't Stop (And What It's Really Costing You)
- Published
- May 13, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1130
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://abbymedcalf.com/people-pleasing-at-work
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Summary
You say yes when you mean no. You take on work that isn't yours because saying no feels too risky. You soften feedback until it loses its meaning, apologize for things that aren't your fault, and spend more energy managing other people's emotions than doing your actual job. And the strangest part? You know you're doing it. You can see it happening in real time. And you still can't stop. People-pleasing at work isn't a habit you can just decide to break. It's a nervous system strategy that your brain developed for very good reasons, and until you understand those reasons, willpower won't touch it. Today you'll get the psychology and neuroscience behind why people-pleasing is so hard to quit, what it's actually costing you at work, and my three steps to change it. ____________________________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/people-pleasing-at-work Get the People-Pleasing Pattern Decoder, your guide to identifying exactly where and why your people-pleasing shows up at work: https://abbymedcalf.com/people-pleasing-decoder Join my online community, One Love Collective, on Substack: https://abbymedcalf.com/substack . You'll get... ✨ Early drops + ad-free podcast episodes ✨ Worksheets, journal prompts, downloads, and guided visualizations ✨ Community chats and live Q&A calls with Abby _________ Subscribe to the Love Letter and get my little messages each week! https://abbymedcalf.com/loveletter-opt-in/ 👉 Pick up a copy of my new book, Boundaries Made Easy: Your Roadmap to Connection, Ease and Joy: https://abbymedcalf.com/boundaries 👉 Pick up The Workbook: Boundaries Made Easier to use as a companion to the book or as a standalone masterclass: https://abbymedcalf.com/boundaries-workbook 👉 Buy my #1 bestselling book on Amazon, Be Happily Married: Even If Y…