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Shrink For The Shy Guy

The End Of Over-Responsibility

Feb 13, 2024
This transformative episode explores the burden of over-responsibility and how it affects our mental health. It discusses the difference between empathy and over-responsibility, as well as the negative emotions that can arise. Practical methods to release this burden and embrace a healthier approach to relationships are shared. The podcast also delves into the connection between over-responsibility and feeling emotionally unsafe, recognizing real threats, the cycle of guilt, and navigating emotions.
22:52

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Over-responsibility is when you feel the need to fix or resolve other people's feelings, leading to negative emotions and a lack of balance in relationships.
  • Separating empathy from over-responsibility allows you to maintain your ability to sense others' emotions while relieving the burden of taking responsibility for them.

Deep dives

Understanding Over-Responsibility

Over-responsibility is when you take responsibility for other people's feelings, believing it's your duty to address, fix, or resolve them. It commonly occurs in close relationships, but can extend to friends, colleagues, and even strangers. Over-responsibility is different from being empathic, where one has a heightened sense of other people's feelings. The problem arises when you link your own emotional safety to the need to fix or smoothen someone else's feelings. This fear and discomfort lead to anxiety, guilt, and a strong pressure to make amends. By recognizing that over-responsibility stems from discomfort within yourself, you can begin to create a shift.

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