Ep. #6 Do You Feel Responsible for Other People’s Feelings?

Stop Self-Silencing

Have you ever found yourself walking on eggshells and silencing your own voice just to keep those around you comfortable?

This is often a challenge for those of us who are more empathetic and naturally tuned into the emotions of others.

We often end up carrying the weight of not just our feelings but those of everyone around us.

It’s like being an emotional sponge, absorbing the mood and atmosphere, and feeling a deep sense of responsibility to manage and maintain harmony.

You might find yourself adjusting your words, actions, even your presence, to ensure everyone else is comfortable and happy.

You might worry that you’ll upset someone by what you say - maybe that the content will trigger them in some way, or that if they don’t agree and find it offensive it will make them angry.

When it comes to sharing things about your business, more promotional ‘salesy’ content - you might hold back because you don’t want people to be annoyed by sharing an offer, or to perhaps irritate them by sending ‘too many’ emails or posting too much about it.

So how do we navigate this?

Breaking this cycle starts with awareness and then, action. It’s about recognising that our role isn't to be the emotional guardian for everyone.

We can be empathetic and supportive, but not at the cost of our own emotional health. A key step here is learning to establish healthy boundaries – understanding where our responsibility ends and someone else’s begins.

To help with this I have a practical tool that can help you manage the sense of over-responsibility you might feel. You can find all the links in this episode here > fifimason.com/ep6