Inner Work With MaryAnn Walker: Stop People Pleasing and Start Honoring You! 172: What is Codependency: How to Know if You're Codependent
Do you have a hard time feeling ok when others around you are struggling? Do you find yourself constantly managing the emotions of others or abandoning your own needs in the name of “keeping the peace?” If so, you may be struggling with codependency. Today we’re going to explore what codependency actually is, how it often hides under the mask of kindness, and how to start reclaiming your emotional freedom.
Many recovering people pleasers have adopted the belief that “I’m only okay if everyone else is okay.” But that belief, while rooted in self-protection, becomes exhausting and unsustainable in adulthood. It forfeits our own emotional regulation and makes our emotional wellbeing conditional upon our ability to emotionally comfort/control others.
In this episode we uncover how this pattern develops, why it keeps you stuck, and how to start shifting from emotional control to emotional regulation.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why recovering people pleasers are often codependent
- How hyper-vigilance, self-neglect, and resentment can be signs of codependency
- The emotional cost of codependency & trying to “keep the peace”
- Real-life examples of codependency & emotional caretaking (and how to spot it in yourself)
- Simple steps to shift from people-soothing to self-soothing
- How to build emotional resilience and reclaim your inner peace
Challenge for the Week
The next time you feel the urge to fix someone else’s emotions, pause.
- Notice the urge without acting on it.
- Ask yourself: “Am I doing this because I can’t tolerate their discomfort? Or because I know it's what's best for me?”
- Choose to self-soothe instead of people-soothe.
Breathe. Journal. Ground. Repeat. You’ve got this. 💛
Work With Me
Ready to stop walking on eggshells and start building emotional resilience?
I’m currently booking for Fall and would love to support you in breaking the cycle of people pleasing, setting guilt-free boundaries, and finally tending to your needs.
👉 Apply now at https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
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📞 Want More Support?
If you're recognizing patterns of toxic empathy in your relationships and you're ready to make a change, I’d love to support you.
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🎯 Book your free 20-minute clarity call to see if we might be a good fit: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult
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