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When we live in fear that others will abandon us, we often end up abandoning ourselves.

In this episode of Inner Work with MaryAnn Walker, we’re exploring the #1 fear of people pleasers: the fear of abandonment. This is part one of a two-part series where we’ll uncover how this fear develops, how it shows up in relationships, and—most importantly—how it leads to chronic self-abandonment.

If you’ve ever caught yourself silencing your needs, over-giving to prove your worth, or staying in unhealthy relationships just to avoid being alone, you’ll see yourself in this conversation. And you’ll begin to understand why these patterns leave you feeling more disconnected and unloved than ever before.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why fear of abandonment is the root fear behind people-pleasing.
• How past experiences—like conditional love or emotional neglect—train us to equate being alone with rejection.
• The painful cycle: fear of abandonment → people-pleasing → self-abandonment.
• 5 common self-abandoning behaviors that stem from fear of abandonment:
  • Overgiving in hopes of proving your worth.
  • Avoiding conflict to keep others happy, even at the cost of your truth.
  • Taking responsibility for other people’s emotions while neglecting your own.
  • Staying too long in unhealthy or toxic relationships out of fear of being alone.
  • Downplaying your needs to make yourself “easier to love.”
• Why these strategies create the illusion of connection but actually deepen disconnection and loneliness.

Challenge for the Week
Pay attention to the moments when you silence yourself, minimize your needs, or overextend to keep someone close. Ask: Am I abandoning myself right now out of fear that they might abandon me?

Work With Me

If you’re ready to stop people-pleasing and start building authentic relationships rooted in love and mutual care, I’d love to support you. Email me now at maryann@maryannwalker.life to check for availability.

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

Be sure to subscribe to Inner Work with MaryAnn Walker so you don’t miss next week’s episode, where we’ll explore how to shift out of fear and start cultivating relationships based on love, safety, and authenticity.

Connect with me!

Contact me: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannwalker.life
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryannwalker.life

Related Episodes:

Should I Stay or Should I Go https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/16202567

You're Not for Everyone & That's Ok! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/11162078

Empaths vs Covert Narcissists: Recognizing Energy Vampires https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/15664257

How to Recognize a Trauma Bond & Break Free For Good https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/17654108

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Do you ever feel like you’re working so hard, but somehow still not making progress? What if the thing that's holding you back smaller than you think?

Self-sabotage is sneaky. It can show up in tiny, everyday choices that keep you stuck, frustrated, and wondering why your efforts aren’t paying off. In this episode of Inner Work with MaryAnn Walker, I share a real-life lesson that turned into a powerful reminder: sometimes it’s not about making massive changes—it’s about one small tweak that can make all the difference.

Whether you’re a recovering people pleaser, an empath, or a highly sensitive person, you may notice self-sabotage showing up in your relationships, your goals, and even in the way you talk to yourself. The good news? Once you learn how to stop self-sabotaging, you’ll see how one small mindset shift and tiny daily habits can create big and lasting results.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Common self-sabotage patterns and how to recognize them.
• Why people pleasers often minimize their accomplishments (and how to stop).
• How avoiding conflict in relationships can actually create more conflict.
• Practical mindset shifts to break the cycle of self-sabotage.
• Why making tiny changes every day can lead to massive transformation.

Challenge for the Week

Ask yourself: What’s one small tweak I could make today that would have the biggest impact on my life? Maybe it’s speaking up sooner, accepting help instead of refusing it, or finally celebrating your own accomplishments.

Work With Me

If you’re ready to stop sabotaging your goals and start creating the results you really want, I’d love to help. As a life coach for empaths, highly sensitive people, and recovering people pleasers, I specialize in spotting the small shifts that can lead to big breakthroughs. Book your free clarity call today: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

Be sure to follow Inner Work with MaryAnn Walker so you never miss an episode. And if you found this helpful, please leave a review—it helps more helpers, healers, and people pleasers discover tools to stop getting in their own way and live with more confidence, clarity, and ease.

Want to connect on other platforms? I've got you!

Contact me: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
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Trauma Bonds: Why They’re So Hard to Spot, Why They Feel Addictive, and How to Break Free for Good

If you’ve ever wondered “Am I in a trauma bond?” or found yourself walking on eggshells, feeling extreme emotions in a relationship, and clinging to the hope things will go back to how they “used to be,” this episode is for you. We’ll explore how people pleasing as a trauma response can deepen trauma bonding and keep you trapped in toxic relationship patterns.

You’ll learn the difference between a toxic relationship vs trauma bond, and how trauma bonds often develop through love bombing, devaluing, discard, and sporadic reinforcement. We’ll also talk about the role of anxious attachment, why leaving can feel impossible, and exactly how to break free of a trauma bond so you can reclaim your peace and self-worth.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

💛 What a trauma bond really is and how it’s formed
💛 The “slot machine effect” and why sporadic reinforcement keeps you hooked
💛 How trauma bonds amplify people pleasing and self-abandonment
💛 The repeating cycle of love bombing, devaluing, and discard
💛 Common signs you may be trauma bonded (and how to tell)
💛 Why walking on eggshells becomes the norm in trauma-bonded relationships
💛 How anxious attachment fuels the cycle
💛 The truth about healthy love versus conditional, inconsistent attention

Challenge for the Week
Pay attention to your relationship patterns. Do the highs feel intoxicating while the lows drag on endlessly? Are you ignoring your own needs to keep someone else happy? Notice if your emotions swing from extreme highs to crushing lows. Write down your observations without judgment—awareness is the first step to change.

Work With Me
If you’re ready to stop asking “Am I trauma bonded?” and start breaking free from the cycle, I’d love to support you. In coaching, we’ll work together to untangle the patterns keeping you stuck and help you create relationships that feel safe, balanced, and mutually fulfilling. Click here to book your free clarity call: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Don’t Forget to Subscribe
If you found this episode helpful, make sure you’re subscribed so you never miss an episode. Every week we explore the topics that matter most to recovering people pleasers, highly sensitive people, and anyone ready to heal from toxic relationship dynamics.

Connect with me!

Book Your FREE Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult
Contact me: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
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Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds— Intention Does

They say that "Time heals all wounds."
We’ve all heard it. But is it true?

The truth is time alone doesn’t heal. Effort & intention does.
And when you stop waiting and start intentionally tending to your emotional wounds, everything begins to shift.

🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
✨ Why time without intention can keep you stuck in emotional pain
✨ How to recognize if you’re using “rest” as avoidance
✨ What healing really looks like for HSPs and empaths
✨ How to use breakups, gap years, and transition periods as catalysts for growth
✨ Why self-directed healing is more powerful than waiting for time to "do its thing"
✨ The difference between coping and healing—and how to bridge the gap
✨ A powerful self-inquiry practice to move you forward this week

Ask yourself:

What do I want most right now?
Am I avoiding the work I know would move me forward?
What’s one intentional step I can take today toward healing?

💬 If This Resonated With You…
I currently have openings in my 6-week coaching program designed for highly sensitive people ready to stop people-pleasing, regulate their nervous systems, and confidently speak their truth.

You’ll get clarity, support, and tools to move forward with purpose—so you don’t just wait for time to heal, but take your healing into your own hands.

🎯 Book your FREE clarity call here: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

🔗 Links & Resources:
🌿 Learn more about 1:1 https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
📩 Get your FREE Empathy Guidebook: https://maryannwalker-life.kit.com/3da1fd88a9

❤️ If You Loved This Episode:
Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it really helps others find the show and grow this community. And don’t forget to share it with a fellow HSP who’s ready to stop waiting and start healing.

Remember: Time doesn’t heal. Intention does.
And that’s a beautiful, empowering thing.

Want to connect on my other platforms? Come join me on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannwalker.life
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryannwalker.life

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Are you a highly sensitive person who’s constantly giving but feeling invisible in your relationships? Do you ever catch yourself wondering, “Do they know I’m here?” or feeling like “They are walking all over me”? Maybe you’ve been feeling used or taken advantage of, and deep down you’re thinking, “I just want to be seen and loved.”

In this episode, I open up about my own journey as a helper, healer, and recovering people pleaser, including the powerful images that came into my mind’s eye during Reiki sessions with client that revealed just how it can feel to over-giving at your own expense. I’ll share 2 impactful stories from my time as a Reiki practitioner—moments when unhealed codependency and energetic imbalances were manifesting through two powerful images... a doormat and a cloak of invisibility.

Through metaphors like doormat vs. welcome mat energy and the cloak of invisibility, we’ll explore how patterns of over-giving can leave you exhausted, resentful, and wondering if you’ll ever feel truly valued. You’ll also learn practical, heart-centered tools for reclaiming your energy, setting boundaries without guilt, and stepping into relationships where you can be authentically seen and loved for who you are.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
💛 The difference between doormat energy and welcome mat energy
🌀 How codependency keeps you stuck in over-giving cycles
🌱 The role of the solar plexus and heart chakra in emotional boundaries
🧠 What your resentment is trying to tell you
🧍‍♀️ The emotional cost of wearing a cloak of invisibility
✨ How to shift from seeking love through usefulness to receiving love through authenticity
🔮 How Reiki and chakra healing can help process emotional patterns

This episode is especially for you if:

• You’re a recovering people pleaser or codependent personality
• You often feel taken for granted or invisible in relationships
• You give your time, energy, and love freely—but rarely feel nourished in return
• You’re tired of feeling invisible and want to step into your worth
• You’re interested in the intersection of spirituality, energy work, and emotional healing

Ready to Be Seen?
If you’re tired of feeling invisible and drained from always being the “go-to” person for everyone else, this is your sign to step out of the doormat role, take off the cloak of invisibility, and feel safe being seen. You don’t have to prove your worth through over-giving.

Ready to make lasting change? 🔗 Book your free clarity call today to explore where your energy might be leaking and how you can shift toward empowered, authentic connection.

Free Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsultContact me: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/
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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.

1. Notice the urge without acting on it.
2. Ask yourself: “Am I doing this because I can’t tolerate their discomfort? Or because I know it's what's best for me?”
3. 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

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/If this episode helped you feel seen, grounded, or inspired, hit that follow button and leave a review. And share it with a friend who might also be stuck in emotional over-responsibility—they might need this more than you know.

📞 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.

✨ I'm currently offering 6-week 1:1 coaching packages where we’ll dive into your specific situation and build a more empowered, balanced way of showing up in your life and relationships.

🎯 Book your free 20-minute clarity call to see if we might be a good fit: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Follow me on my other platforms and join the conversation!

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/
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What if what’s happening outside of you is just a reflection of what’s going on inside of you? As a coach for helpers, healers, and recovering people-pleasers, I’ve seen how self-limiting beliefs quietly shape our reality and block us from manifesting the life we truly want.

In this episode, we’ll unpack the limiting beliefs that may be keeping you stuck—and I’ll guide you through a powerful (but simple) process to shift your mindset, challenge old stories, and begin creating lasting change. Whether you're wondering how to change your life completely or just how to feel better in your current season, it all starts with changing what you believe.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How your internal beliefs shape your external reality
• Why self-limiting beliefs often create self-fulfilling prophecies
• Real-life stories that show how our beliefs keep us stuck
• How to change your beliefs and rewire your mindset
• A journaling practice to support manifesting a more aligned life
• Why taking ownership of your beliefs is the first step toward how to change your life for the better

Challenge for the Week:

• Identify one limiting belief that’s been shaping your reality
• Write it down and get honest about what it’s been creating
• Create a new, empowering belief to replace it
• Find 3 reasons that belief is already true in your life
• Read, breathe into, and feel that belief daily

Work With Me:
If you're tired of feeling stuck and you're ready to change your life from the inside out, I’d love to support you. Book a free 20-minute clarity call, and we’ll explore what’s holding you back and how to shift the beliefs that are keeping you in patterns you didn’t choose.

📞 Book Your Free Clarity Call

✨ I'm currently offering 6-week 1:1 coaching packages where we’ll dive deep into the limiting beliefs shaping your life and create space for growth, clarity, and connection.

🎯 Ready to reserve your 6-week package? Reach out here

Don’t Forget to Subscribe:
Be sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss next week’s episode. We’ll keep exploring emotional boundaries, mindset shifts, and how to change your life completely—especially for those who feel deeply and love big.

Let’s Stay Connected:
📱 Instagram: @maryannwalker.life
📘 Facebook: MaryAnnWalker.Life
🎵 TikTok: @maryannwalker.life

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When does empathy become toxic? When it leads to self-abandonment.

Yes, empathy is beautiful—it helps us connect, support others, and hold space. But what happens when your empathy starts costing you your peace, self-worth, and well-being?

Join me as we explore:

• What toxic empathy is and how it differs from healthy compassion
• How people-pleasers and highly sensitive people (HSPs) often fall into this pattern
• Real-life examples of toxic empathy in romantic, platonic, and family relationships
• The shift from enabling to empowered empathy
• How to set boundaries without losing your compassion

🛑 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why understanding someone’s trauma does not justify harmful behavior
• How toxic empathy often looks like:
  • Making excuses for others
  • Self-abandonment
  • Avoiding boundaries
• Why empathy without boundaries leads to resentment and emotional burnout
• How to begin using empathy as information, not justification

🔍 Real-Life Examples Discussed:

1. The Neglectful Partner – Understanding someone’s trauma doesn't mean tolerating emotional unavailability.
2. The Flaky Friend – Compassion for someone’s anxiety shouldn’t leave you doing all the work in the friendship.
3. The Critical Parent – Empathizing with your parent’s pain doesn’t mean accepting their constant criticism.

✨ This Week’s Reflection Invitation:

Ask yourself:

• Where has my empathy crossed into enabling?
• What behavior have I been tolerating in the name of understanding?
• Am I sacrificing my needs while waiting for someone else to change?

Then take one small step:
Set a boundary.
Stop chasing.
Initiate a long-overdue conversation.
Let self-compassion lead the way. 💛

📞 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.

✨ I'm currently offering 6-week 1:1 coaching packages where we’ll dive into your specific situation and build a more empowered, balanced way of showing up in your life and relationships.

🎯 Book your free 20-minute clarity call to see if we might be a good fit: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Ready to reserve your 6 week package? Let me know here: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannwalker.life
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryannwalker.life