Do you ever feel like you are not fully valued in life? Maybe it happens at work, or in your personal relationships. Maybe you feel like you do not deserve better than what you are getting, even if you put your best foot forward at all times. Self-esteem concerns could stem from past hurts or experiences, or they could be something you have had to deal with since childhood.

Wanting to do things for others is not necessarily a bad thing. However, people-pleasing can quickly take a toll on your personal well-being. If you’re putting the needs of others above your own, you risk harming your mental or physical health, experiencing burnout, or even resenting others.

You might not put up with someone in your social circle criticizing you all the time. It is likely you would defend yourself, or at least cut that person out and stop spending time with them. But, that becomes harder to do when the person criticizing you is…you.

A child’s knowledge of healthy relationships is shaped at a very early age by parents or caregivers. Ideally, every child would be able to form a secure attachment with their caregivers. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.

Gender-specific challenges persist in the workplace. Sexism and patriarchal attitudes, though rooted in history, continue to manifest in complex ways across genders.