Do you often put other people’s needs ahead of your own? People-pleasing is often a learned behavior that develops over time. Constantly monitoring other people’s needs and reactions requires tremendous mental energy and can lead to anxiety, resentment, and burnout. She encourages individuals to stop overexplaining their decisions and create a pause before responding to requests. While confidence is helpful, Fasano says that real change happens when individuals consistently honor their own needs, follow through on boundaries, and stop relying on outside validation for approval.