Why People Pleasing Happens (And How To Stop)

Why People Pleasing Happens (And How To Stop)

From A New Way of Being by Simon Mundie

March 11, 2026 · 6 min

About this episode

This episode explores the roots of people pleasing and offers insights on how to address the underlying fears driving this behavior.

People pleasing often looks kind on the surface. But over time it can lead to exhaustion, resentment - and burnout. In this episode, I explore why people pleasing develops in the first place and why it’s rooted in a childhood strategy to secure love and approval. More importantly, I share a different way of working with the pattern. Instead of trying to force yourself to “stop”, the real shift comes from recognising the deeper fear driving it and learning how to meet that feeling directly. When you do, something surprising happens: the pattern begins to soften, and the approval you’ve been chasing outside yourself becomes far less important. If you struggle to say no, overcommit, or feel responsible for other people’s emotions, this episode will help you understand why - and what actually leads to lasting change. To explore this work more deeply, you can book a free 15 minute 1:1 consultation here : https://calendly.com/simon-wgw/simon-mundie-intro-call Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Simon Mundie

Topics covered

  • people pleasing
  • self improvement
  • childhood strategy
  • emotional health
  • personal growth

Keywords

  • people pleasing
  • burnout
  • emotional responsibility
  • self-approval
  • saying no

More episodes of A New Way of Being

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the A New Way of Being podcast page.