People Pleasing Isn’t Love, It’s Survival Mode Why Saying Yes Feels Safer Than Being Yourself

Do you struggle with people pleasing, over-apologizing, or putting everyone else’s needs before your own, especially with family, partners, or authority figures?

In this episode of The Mother Wound Project Podcast, host Tandi breaks down the hidden psychology behind people pleasing and explains why it’s not a personality trait, it’s a trauma response known as fawning.

If you were raised by an emotionally immature or critical mother, this episode will help you understand why:

• Saying no feels terrifying
• Disagreement triggers anxiety
• You feel responsible for other people’s emotions
• Your needs feel “too much” or unsafe to express
• Love feels conditional and earned

We explore the nervous system roots of people pleasing, how childhood emotional neglect and criticism shape adult relationships, and why you can’t “just stop” without working with the body, not against it.

You’ll learn:

• What the fawn response is and why it develops
• How people pleasing disconnects you from your true self
• Why it attracts emotionally unsafe relationships
• The link between people pleasing, anxiety, and resentment
• What real healing looks like, without forcing boundaries or guilt

This episode is especially for daughters of emotionally immature mothers who are ready to stop performing for love and start rebuilding safety, identity, and self-trust.

💛 Ready to Go Deeper?

🧰 Download the Mother Wound Survival Kit Practical, body-based tools to recognize fawning in real time, regulate your nervous system, and begin setting boundaries safely—without panic or overwhelm.

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📞 Book a FREE Discovery Call If you’re ready for personalized support through coaching or hypnotherapy, schedule a free discovery call to explore next steps and see if we’re a fit.

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🌿 Join the Daughters Rising Inner Circle An ongoing community for women healing the mother wound through sisterhood, nervous system work, boundary practice, and identity rebuilding together.

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You are not broken. You adapted to survive. And now—you get to choose something better.