Being pleasant in the workplace is a great quality, however being a people pleaser can sometimes have a negative impact on your professional happiness. Here are some helpful tips to break the habit.
Commit to Change
A great way to start is to consider why you feel the need to be a people-pleaser. Are you fearful of rejection or failure? Do you worry about disappointing others? Whatever the root cause is, knowing where the habit came from will help you break it. Consider how you can reframe your mindset around people-pleasing. For example, setting boundaries at work, like how late you’re willing to stay and how many projects you’re willing to take on at once, can help you avoid falling into your natural habit of taking on more to make others happy.
Ask for Help
For many people-pleasers, helping others comes naturally while asking for help may feel like a daunting task. However, turning to others in your times of need can be a helpful tool when it comes to breaking your own people-pleasing habit, or at least evening the playing score. The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by emails, meetings, or projects, ask if one of your colleagues can take something off your plate. Over time, you’ll become more comfortable asking for help.
Practice Saying No
In some cases, people-pleasers will say yes to helping others even when they have too much on their plate, which is why it can be important to practice saying no. During your free time, consider rehearsing different ways you can say no, like “I’m sorry but I have a big deadline approaching,” or “I’ll be happy to help once my work is completed.” By practicing these phrases and others, it can help you become more comfortable turning down additional work which in turn can alleviate any unwanted stress and fear.
Breaking a habit rarely happens overnight, but these helpful tips can help you get started on the right path. Consider trying them today to beat your people-pleasing habit.
Sponsored by: 
