045: How to stop being a people pleaser: 5 traps to watch out for

From Stuck to Started: Executive Function & ADHD Coaching to Take Action

Pleasing people isn’t always about saying “yes” to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or wanting to stay in their good graces. Sometimes people say “yes” to things because they don’t realize how long it will take, or the impact it will have on their schedule, or that they don’t actually have the capacity to do that thing they said they would do.

In this episode, I’m breaking down 5 common executive functioning traps that make people pleasing more likely and sharing simple strategies to help you pause, protect your time, and respond in a way that feels good.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why time blindness can make you overcommit without realizing it
• How prioritization challenges make it tempting to put others’ needs first
• The role emotional regulation plays in saying yes (even when you don’t want to)
• How working memory “forgets” the cost of past overcommitments
• A simple way to stop impulsively saying yes before you think it through

Chapters

00:00 Understanding People Pleasing

06:17 How Executive Functioning impacts People Pleasing

09:45 Navigating Time Blindness and Prioritization

11:58 Emotional Regulation and Its Impact

14:16 Working Memory and Impulse Control

Host: Sarah Lovell, Executive Function & ADHD Coach

Resources Mentioned:

• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan
• Read the Blog here

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Music by: AudioCoffee, Inspirational Background