Happy & Healthy with Amy
Do you want to protect your brain from Alzheimer's disease so you can be sharp and stay sharp for life? This podcast is for you.
Your host, Amy Lang, master certified health coach and founder of Moxie Club will be sharing with you the lessons learned and insights gained from 20+ years as a health club owner and Alzheimer's prevention coach.
For more information, visit www.moxie-club.com
Happy & Healthy with Amy
When Social Connection Hurts: The People-Pleasing Brain Trap
Are you always the one saying yes — even when you want to say no? If you’re constantly putting everyone else’s needs before your own, you might be stuck in the people pleasing trap — and it could be rewiring your brain in dangerous ways. In this episode, I share how chronic people pleasing not only impacts your emotional well-being but may also put your cognitive health at risk.
What to Listen For
- [00:02:10] How social connections reduce dementia risk — and why quality matters more than quantity
- [00:04:00] The childhood experience that rewired Amy’s brain to prioritize others over herself
- [00:06:30] The anxious loop people pleasers live in: scanning for approval and avoiding rejection
- [00:08:10] The advice from a mentor that changed everything: “No is a complete sentence”
- [00:09:20] Why people pleasing is a form of self-abandonment
- [00:10:30] The fawn response: how appeasing others is a trauma-based coping mechanism
- [00:11:50] The neurological impact of people pleasing: cortisol, hippocampal shrinkage, and memory loss
- [00:13:15] Brene Brown’s distinction between “fitting in” and “true belonging” — and how it applies to brain health
- [00:15:40] The hidden toll on cognitive function: anxiety, indecision, and loss of interoception
- [00:21:10] 3 strategies to rewire your brain and stop compulsive compliance
Chronic people pleasing isn't just draining — it's dangerous. It keeps your brain in a constant stress loop, contributes to inflammation, and erodes your self-trust.
But the good news is this: your brain is plastic, and with every boundary you set, you’re creating a new pathway toward resilience, clarity, and health. Start by inserting a pause, practicing low-stakes boundaries, and reconnecting with your authentic self.
🎧 Listen to the full episode now and subscribe for more science-backed strategies to protect your brain and live with intention.
RESOURCES:
- Register for the FREE Masterclass: 5 Keys to Protecting Your Brain Health
- Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy Lang
- Order Amy's book Thoughts Are Habits Too: Master Your Triggers, Free Yourself From Diet Culture, and Rediscover Joyful Eating.
- Follow Amy on Instagram @habitwhisperer