Low self-esteem can significantly impact how you navigate life, often leading to people-pleasing, excessive self-criticism, difficulty accepting praise, over-apologising, and hesitating to take initiative in relationships. These signs suggest you may be struggling with feelings of unworthiness or fear of rejection. A clinical psychologist can provide the tools and support to help you build self-confidence, set healthy boundaries, and learn to value yourself. Through therapy, you can develop self-compassion, challenge negative thoughts, and start seeing your worth more clearly, leading to a more fulfilling and empowered life.

The Surprising Causes of People Pleasing - People pleasing means putting others' needs above your own, often at your own cost. Its roots can be traced to our evolutionary need for belonging, early childhood relationships, the fawn response, and societal norms, especially surrounding gender. Recognising this behaviour is the first step towards breaking the cycle and learning to prioritize oneself.