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Why Approval Seeking Keeps Anxiety Going
Why Approval Seeking Keeps Anxiety Going (And What To Do Instead)t
Do you spend a lot of time worrying about keeping other people happy? Or maybe you find yourself saying yes when you want to say no, avoiding conflict, overthinking conversations or worrying about disappointing people? It can feel like getting the nod of approval from others is the most important thing and guides your life.
If so, you are certainly not alone.
Many people who struggle with anxiety, low confidence or overthinking are not just worrying about what other people think. They are also working incredibly hard to gain approval, avoid criticism and keep everyone around them happy. They put themselves and their own needs last. Everyone else seems to always come first. It can feel exhausting.
The main problem is that approval seeking often creates exactly the stress, anxiety and self-doubt you are trying to avoid. You get caught in a pattern of doing the same things and getting the same anxious result.
This article expands on a topic I recently covered in my Ely Standard column about why we care what people think.
