About this episode

Dr. Aziz explores the challenges of saying no and the underlying patterns that contribute to feelings of guilt and disapproval.

Someone asks you for something. The word no forms in your head. What comes out of your mouth is yes. In this episode, Dr. Aziz breaks down why just say no more never quite works. There's a specific pattern running underneath the guilt and the override, and the standard get better boundaries advice doesn't reach the layer where it lives. He also names the pattern he himself runs when he takes his own quiz: the Fixer. This episode covers: Why the trap of saying no makes both yes and no feel terrible The Fixer pattern (one of the four ways your nervous system tries to keep you safe when disapproval is on the table) and the two levels of fixing most Fixers don't realize they're doing A story Dr. Aziz tells on himself about a Thursday night that should have been a no The saying he uses with every client about why recalibration always feels wrong before it feels right Discover your approval type. Take the 2-minute quiz at https://www.draziz.com Watch episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrAzizGazipura Work with Dr. Aziz directly: The Unstoppable Confidence Mastermind is a year-long program for people ready to unwire this pattern at the nervous system level. Application at…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Aziz

Topics covered

• saying no
• boundaries
• social anxiety
• nervous system patterns
• self-improvement

Keywords

• saying no
• social anxiety
• boundaries
• Fixer pattern
• self-improvement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Unstoppable Confidence Mastermind, Social Confidence Center, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn

More episodes of Shrink For The Shy Guy

• You're Allowed To Push Back · July 21, 2026 · 11 min
• Why You Feel You Have To Earn People's Approval · July 7, 2026 · 12 min
• You’re Successful and Exhausted · June 30, 2026 · 12 min
• You Look Confident But You Don’t Feel It · June 23, 2026 · 17 min
• The Real Reason You Don't Speak Up · June 16, 2026 · 12 min
• Why You Still Care What People Think · June 9, 2026 · 21 min

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