#134| Why Avoiding Difficult Conversations is Keeping You Stuck in Overwhelm and People-Pleasing - And How to Find Your Voice: Overwhelm, Productivity, Time Management & People Pleasing

Are you constantly saying “yes” when you’re dying to say “no”—just to keep everyone else happy?

If you’re overwhelmed by trying to please everyone at work and home, this episode reveals how that behavior might be costing you your peace—and how small, intentional changes can help you reclaim your voice and your calm.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn the simple mindset shift that turns dreaded conversations into opportunities for growth.
• Discover a practical three-step process to prepare for tough conversations with clarity and confidence.
• Hear how one woman’s journey from people-pleasing to powerful boundary-setting completely transformed her relationships and career.

 Hit play now to hear Tasha’s inspiring transformation and walk away with tools you can start using today to feel more calm, confident, and in control.

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Life can be overwhelming, but on this podcast, you'll discover practical strategies to overcome overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and negative self-talk, manage time effectively, set boundaries, and stay productive in high-stress jobs—all while learning how to say no and prioritize self-care on the Overwhelmed Working Woman podcast.

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Episode Transcript

Michelle Gauthier (00:00):
If you've ever found yourself saying yes
when you really want to say no,or just staying quiet to keep
the peace, this episode is foryou.
You're listening to OverwhelmedWorking Woman, the podcast that
helps you be more calm and moreproductive by doing less.

(00:20):
I'm your host, MichelleGauthier, a former Overwhelmed
Working woman and current lifecoach.
On this show, we unpack thestress and pressure that today's
working woman experiences andin each episode you'll get a
strategy to bring more calm,ease and relaxation to your life
.
Hi, friend, in today's episodeI'm going to share my client,

(00:43):
Tasha's story with herpermission, of course who went
from feeling overwhelmed andapproval seeking to calm, clear
and confident.
You'll hear how she stoppedavoiding hard conversations,
started setting boundaries andtotally transformed the way she
shows up in her life and herwork.
Before I jump in and tell youTasha's story, just a reminder

(01:06):
that in April we are celebratingthe second birthday of
Overwhelmed Working Woman.
One of the things I'm workingon is putting together a podcast
where I am responding to all ofthe voice notes that you left
me with what you love about thepodcast and the questions that
you have for me.
I've had so much fun creatingthose episodes, so keep your
eyes open for that.
Those will be out next week,about a week from today, and I'm

(01:30):
actually going to do twoepisodes on that because I got
so so many voice notes, whichwas awesome.
The other thing that we'reworking on this month is reviews
.
When you just open up yourpodcasting app and you see the
shows that you subscribe to andthen it gives you suggestions
for other shows that you maylike.
That other shows that you maylike is where I want to show up

(01:51):
for people who are not alreadylistening to our podcast, and
the way to do that, the way forthe algorithm to love us and
show the podcast there is tohave great episodes that lots of
people listen to and to havelots of reviews.
So if you have not yet and youwant to help me reach all the
rest of the overwhelmed workingwomen who aren't listening, I
would love if you would leave areview.

(02:13):
It would mean so much to me andI would really appreciate it.
Okay, let's dive in.
So Tasha came to me, like mostof my one-on-one clients do,
feeling overwhelmed.
She was saying yes toeverything at work, at home,
with her friends, because shewanted to keep everyone happy,
and when we investigated it, sherealized that she was trying to

(02:35):
keep everyone happy to thedetriment of herself.
She wasn't feeling happy, sothat meant she avoided difficult
conversations with heremployees and friends and family
.
And what happened?
Even if we just think about thework situation, when you avoid
difficult conversations with,say this, this isn't something

(02:56):
Tasha told me, but I'm thinkingback to my working days instead
of saying like this actuallyisn't up to speed on what I was
hoping for.
So if you could go back and youcould add this, that and the
other thing and get it back tome by tomorrow, that would be

(03:17):
great.
If you don't have thoseconversations and you end up
being the one who takes thething and does it yourself, then
you're just setting yourself upfor more overwhelm.
So we decided that we weregoing to start small, and I
think that's always the best wayto start Just take one small
step in the right direction.
Instead of overhauling herentire approach to communication

(03:39):
, she took some simple steps tohandle difficult conversations
with confidence.
We created a process and shecame up with this process to
prepare with data.
So when she was going to have atough conversation, she
prepared with data.
She set a clear intention foreach one of the conversations
and then she used breathingtechniques like square breathing

(04:00):
, which I'll link in the shownotes, to calm herself before
she had the conversation.
And we noticed that the way shewas thinking about these
conversations before was what ifthey don't like what I say?
And we transitioned thatthought over to how can I help
this person by being honest.
So if you see this subtle butimportant shift there, it's

(04:22):
worrying about what the otherperson is going to think and if
they're going to like it too,how can I help this other person
grow.
One of the biggest changes thatTasha noticed was how much more
confident she felt because shewas prepared for the
conversations.
She felt empowered and more incontrol and when she felt that

(04:42):
way, she went in feelingconfident and in service to try
to help her employees and otherpeople who she was communicating
with get better or betterunderstand what she was
explaining.
So as she kept practicing this,she got more comfortable using
her voice and she stoppedavoiding these tough talks and
started leading them andproactively scheduling them, and

(05:03):
she started to see that settingboundaries and having honest
conversations was a great way toprotect her own energy, but
also they were gifts to thepeople around her.
So sometimes I think we believethat if we set a boundary that
we are going to, it's going tobe to the detriment of another
person, but that isn't alwaystrue.
It worked for everyone, andthis is a quote that she said to

(05:27):
me.
In the past.
I avoided conflict and stayedquiet, but with Michelle's
guidance, I feel like acompletely transformed person.
The tools and guidance you'veprovided have truly transformed
how I handle challenges, both inmy personal and professional
life.
So this is a quick, short storyjust to remind us, and the
reason why I asked Tashapermission to tell her story is

(05:48):
because it's not like she's theonly one right?
If you're listening, you mightbe shaking your head and saying,
yes, I definitely do thatsometimes or all the time, and I
love how her story shows thatbreaking the cycle of people
pleasing isn't about becomingsomeone you're not.
It's about finding the courageand the confidence to be exactly
who you are and that, even ifyou've been a people pleaser

(06:10):
your whole entire life which youprobably are if you're a woman
I feel like we just getsocialized to do that.
If you take just these smallintentional steps and have small
conversations and grow yourconfidence.
That way, you really can reduceyour overwhelm, have, in my
opinion, more fulfilling andhonest relationships and then

(06:32):
have the confidence to use yourown voice and change your own
life.
So thank you, tasha, forletting me share your story.
I'm actually going to inviteher to be on the podcast and
tell us more about what shelearned in her coaching.
So look for that episode in thefuture.
That's a wrap for today.
I hope you have a great weekand if you enjoy this podcast,

(06:55):
please do leave a rating andreview.
I would so appreciate it.
See you next week.
Thank you for listening to theoverwhelmed working woman
podcast.
If you want to learn more aboutmy work, head over to my
website at michellegauthiercom.
See you next week.