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Story Telling & The Meanings We Create: Separating Fact from Fiction

What if the thing that's actually upsetting you isn't what happened... but the story your mind is telling about it?

For highly sensitive people, it can feel like tone, facial expressions, silence, or subtle shifts in energy cause our emotions. But this isn't the case. In this episode, MaryAnn Walker shares one of the most freeing concepts you can learn as a recovering people-pleaser: circumstances are neutral until we assign meaning to them—and that meaning is optional.

You’ll learn how to stop emotionally reacting to imagined stories, reclaim your power, and respond to life (and relationships) with more clarity, peace, and confidence.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why circumstances are always neutral—and how thoughts create emotional pain
• How highly sensitive people become conditioned to over-interpret tone, silence, and microexpressions
• The crucial difference between facts vs. stories (and why your brain loves filling in the gaps)
• Real-life examples including:
  • A partner not texting back
  • A friend canceling plans
  • A mother-in-law’s holiday comment
  • Divorce and relationship transitions
• How confirmation bias reinforces anxiety, guilt, and people-pleasing patterns
• A powerful two-highlighter exercise to separate truth from interpretation
• Why it’s not your job to intuit what others are thinking or feeling
• How letting go of story can reduce anxiety and create more trust in relationships

Work With Me

If you’re tired of your mind creating anxiety, guilt, or emotional exhaustion—and you’re ready to feel calmer, clearer, and more grounded in your relationships—I would love to support you.

This is one of my favorite things to do in coaching: helping highly sensitive people untangle thoughts from circumstances so they can choose stories that actually support their well-being.

✨ Wanting to start the New Year off with support?  Click here to apply now! https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

If this episode resonated with you, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss future conversations on emotional regulation, boundaries, anxiety relief, and healing people-pleasing patterns.

New episodes are released regularly, and subscribing ensures they show up automatically in your feed.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Explore 1:1 Coaching for Highly Sensitive People & Recovering People-Pleasers https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me

More Episodes to Explore: 

• Facts vs Stories https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/11068994
• Boundaries vs Manuals: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/11236956
• Holiday Manuals: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/11604245

💛 You deserve to take up space—even in your own mind.

Send us a text

🎄 Holiday Expectations, Emotional Triggers & Radical Acceptance: How Your “Manuals” Are Ruining Your Holidays

What if the thing making the holidays so stressful isn’t your family… but your expectations?

In this special holiday episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on something that quietly runs our emotional lives—manuals. These are the invisible rules we carry about how people should behave, how holidays should look, and how we should show up. And during the holidays? These manuals go into overdrive.

When technology issues cut short my holiday interview with fellow coach Kellyn Legath, I had a choice: spiral into frustration—or practice what I teach. This episode became a real-time lesson in radical acceptance, emotional regulation, and reclaiming your peace when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Together, Kellyn and I explore how holiday manuals create resentment, burnout, and emotional reactivity—and how learning to recognize them can help you feel more grounded, empowered, and emotionally free this season.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What a “manual” really is—and how unspoken expectations create resentment
• Why the holidays intensify emotional triggers for highly sensitive people
• How manuals silently put other people in charge of your emotions
• The difference between reacting emotionally and responding intentionally
• How to identify your own holiday manuals (for others and yourself)
• Why communication—not mind reading—is the key to healthier holidays
• How to set realistic, measurable expectations for how you show up
• Practical ways to navigate family dynamics without people-pleasing
• How radical acceptance helps you find peace even when things go “wrong”
• Why letting yourself be human is more powerful than trying to be perfect

Challenge for the Week

Before your next holiday gathering, pause and ask yourself:

1. What am I expecting here?
2. Have I communicated that expectation—or am I assuming others should know?
3. What are three realistic ways I can measure that I showed up well—without needing perfection?

Notice every time the word should pops into your thoughts. That’s your manual asking for attention.

Work With Me

If this episode made you realize how much emotional energy you spend managing other people’s feelings—or how often your happiness depends on things going “just right”—you don’t have to navigate that alone.

I support highly sensitive people and recovering people-pleasers in learning how to:

• Regulate their emotions
• Set boundaries without guilt
• Stop feeling responsible for everyone else’s experience

Apply to work with me here: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss future conversations on emotional regulation, boundaries, and creating more peace in your relationships—especially during emotionally charged seasons like the holidays.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

MaryAnn Walker: life coach for highly sensitive people & recovering people-pleasers

Contact MaryAnn: https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me

Contact Kellyn: https://www.instagram.com/daydreamercoaching/ 

Send us a text

If you’ve ever felt like you had to keep it all together, even when you were running on empty, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Together, we explore how letting go of perfection and focusing on feeling just 10% better can become a gentle, sustainable path toward healing and self-connection.

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend, author, and public speaker, Marissa Campbell, for a heartfelt conversation about burnout, emotional exhaustion, and learning how to come back home to yourself.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why burnout often hides behind busyness and people-pleasing
• The power of checking in with your emotional battery before you hit empty
• How to let go of thinking healing takes time and shift to  feeling “10% better” today.
• Simple, somatic ways to reconnect with your body and emotions
• How to identify your early warning signs of emotional depletion
• What it really means to lead — and live — from the heart

Challenge for the Week

Pause once today to ask yourself:
🩵 "How full is my battery and what emotion am I experiencing right now?”

Then give yourself permission to honor whatever answer arises with no expectations.

*Bonus* Ask yourself what might help to charge your battery, and give it to yourself. Small steps count. They build momentum. And they remind you that you are worthy of care, even in the smallest of ways.

Work With Me

If you’re ready to stop running on empty and start rebuilding from a place of peace and self-trust, I’d love to help.
You can book a free clarity call to explore how coaching can support you at calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Connect with guest Marissa Campbell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mc.speaks/
  
  
• Purchase your copy of Lead With Heart: https://amzn.to/3JxdByw

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Understanding the Family Scapegoat: Healing, Identity, and People Pleasing

Today I am joined by Elle Boone, host of The Family Scapegoat Chronicles. Elle dives deep into a role that many empaths and highly sensitive people unknowingly carry—that of the family scapegoat—and how it shapes identity, people-pleasing tendencies, and emotional well-being.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What it means to be the family scapegoat and how this role is assigned in dysfunctional and narcissistic family systems.
• The three key dynamics of scapegoating: blame, shame, and rejection, and how these affect long-term emotional health.
• The concept of “family mobbing” and how siblings and other family members may unconsciously or consciously participate in scapegoating.
• Differences between the scapegoat, golden child, and lost child roles—and how these roles can rotate over time.
• How scapegoating contributes to people-pleasing, overgiving, and identity confusion.
• Signs that you might have been scapegoated, including minimized successes, silent treatment, backhanded criticism, and heightened responsibility for family dysfunction.
• Practical strategies for healing: observing patterns, pacing your recovery, and reclaiming your personal identity.
• Recommended resources, including Rejected, Shamed, and Blamed by Rebecca C. Mandeville, and the documentary The Wisdom of Trauma by Gabor Maté.

Challenge for the Week:
Take a compassionate pause to observe your patterns. Notice how often you apologize, overgive, or seek approval. Write down at least three recurring behaviors and reflect on where they might have originated. This is the first step toward reclaiming your identity and untangling the people-pleasing and scapegoating patterns in your life.

Work With Me:
If you’re ready to start identifying the roles that hold you back and learn to set healthier boundaries, you can book a free clarity call with me here: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Don’t Forget to Subscribe
Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss future episodes. Each week, we dive deeper into the practices that help recovering people pleasers create balance, self-worth, and authentic connection.

🎯 email me now at [email protected] to work with me! 

Follow me on my other platforms and join the conversation! 

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

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Elle Boone’s podcast: The Family Scapegoat Chronicles https://thefamilyscapegoatchronicles.podbean.com/e/the-family-scapegoat-chronicles-i-true-stories-of-survival-and-healing-after-narcissistic-and-family-scapegoating-abuse/
• Elle Boone on Substack:https://thefamilyscapegoatchronicles.substack.com/
  
  
• Book: Rejected, Shamed, and Blamed by Rebecca C. Mandeville – https://a.co/d/7kLN3lG
  
  
• Documentary: The Wisdom of Trauma by Gabor Maté – Watch here https://thewisdomoftrauma.com/
  
  

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Choosing Joy: How intention, presence, and gratitude can transform your life.

Today, I’m thrilled to talk with Natalie King, British transformational coach, speaker, and podcast host of One Precious Life. We explore how to find joy intentionally, even during stressful or challenging times, and why it’s so important to prioritize joy as part of your emotional well-being.

Whether you’re struggling to feel happiness during a busy holiday season, or you want to cultivate more joy, gratitude, and self-love in your daily life, this episode is packed with practical strategies and empowering insights for empaths and highly sensitive people.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to Catch Joy Daily: Recognize and savor joyful moments, even in the small, ordinary experiences of life.
• Permission to Be Happy: Why giving yourself permission to experience joy is an act of self-love and self-care.
• Daily Practices for Emotional Well-Being: Simple habits like dancing, walking in nature, laughing, or meditating that boost mood, reduce overwhelm, and enhance resilience.
• The Power of Gratitude: How cultivating gratitude creates more joy, presence, and appreciation in everyday life.
• Joy as a Lifestyle for Highly Sensitive People: How consistent practice can make joy a natural part of your temperament and overall emotional health.
• Avoiding Regrets Later in Life: Why allowing yourself to be happy is one of the most common regrets of the dying, and how to prevent it by prioritizing your joy today.

Challenge for the Week

Create your “joy list”—a small collection of activities that consistently make you feel happy, fulfilled, or playful. Pick one thing from your list today and notice how it shifts your energy, mindset, and emotional resilience.

Work With Me

If you’re a highly sensitive person or recovering people-pleaser ready to create more joy, set healthy boundaries, and take up your space fully, let’s connect. Book a free clarity call here: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult
.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Natalie King’s Podcast: One Precious Life. Listen now on your favorite platform!
  
  
• Natalie’s Women’s Circle: Message Natalie on Instragram to learn more!
  
  
• Follow Natalie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/this.one.precious.life/

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

If you enjoyed this conversation about finding joy, emotional well-being, and intentional happiness, subscribe to Inner Work with MaryAnn Walker on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

• MaryAnn Walker coaching: https:maryannwalker.life
• 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
• Join my email list and get a FREE GIFT! https://maryannwalker-life.ck.page/3da1fd88a9

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The Fear Disappointing Others: Healing The Need to be Liked

The fear of disappointing others is so often invisible, yet it drives so many of your choices—what you say yes to, what you stay silent about, and how you show up in your relationships. If you’ve ever worried that someone’s disappointment might cost you connection, safety, or love… this episode will feel like exhaling.

This isn’t an episode about fixing the pattern—this is about finally seeing it with compassion and clarity.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why so many HSPs and people pleasers fear disappointing others—and why it makes perfect sense.
• How this fear subtly impacts your boundaries, your energy, and your authenticity.
• The emotional toll of over-functioning, overexplaining, and absorbing other people’s feelings.
• How fear of disappointment shows up differently in friendships, romantic partnerships, and work environments.
• The deeper nervous system roots behind people-pleasing and why it feels so scary to say no.
• Real stories (Sarah, Ben, and Maya) that will help you see these patterns in your own life with more compassion.
• The surprising way avoiding disappointment often causes resentment, burnout, disconnection, and self-abandonment.
• A gentle mindset shift that can help you move from chasing approval to honoring your truth.

Challenge for the Week

Notice the moments—big or small—when your choices are driven by the fear of disappointing someone.
Don’t fix them.
Don’t change them.
Just notice.
Awareness is the first step toward healing this pattern.

Work With Me

If this episode hit home and you’re ready to break free from the exhaustion of people-pleasing and learn how to take up space without fear, I’d love to support you.

Many people choose to gift themselves a more empowered, authentic life for the holidays—and if that’s you, I invite you to book a free clarity call with me. 

This is a 20-minute conversation to explore what you’re struggling with and whether coaching might be your next step.

Spaces are limited—so if your heart is nudging you, listen.
Book your free clarity call here: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

Be sure to follow the show so you don’t miss new episode.  Staying connected helps to ensures you never miss a topic that could support your healing.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Book your free clarity call: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult
  
  
• MaryAnn Walker coaching: https:maryannwalker.life
• 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
• Join my email list and get a FREE GIFT! https://maryannwalker-life.ck.page/3da1fd88a9

Send us a text

Have you ever had a small moment that changed your life trajectory? This week I'm sharing two personal experience with Marissa Campbell from the Art of Heart podcast. 

One experience is about learning to release the shame of not always feeling “happy,” and another about is my journey of self-discovery after burnout. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to recognize when shame is clouding your emotional truth
• Why it’s possible (and human) to feel this and that—multiple emotions at once
• The subtle ways people pleasing sneaks into “good intentions”
• How shame and toxic positivity can block genuine healing
• What it means to reconnect with your mind, body, and spirit
• How to create a solo retreat to refill your emotional cup and rediscover who you are

Challenge for the Week

Take time this week to check in with yourself. Ask:

• “What am I actually feeling right now?”
• “What do I need—mentally, physically, and emotionally?”
  Then, give yourself permission to honor whatever comes up without judgment. Let it be okay to be both this andthat.

Work With Me

If you’re ready to break free from burnout and people pleasing, I’d love to help you reconnect with your authentic self. Together, we’ll rebuild your confidence, strengthen your boundaries, and help you create a life that feels aligned and fulfilling.
👉 Book your free clarity call here: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to follow Art of Heart and Inner Work with MaryAnn Walker on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode full of heart-centered insight and inspiration.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Marissa Campbell, host of Art of Heart: 
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mc.speaks/
  • Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-of-heart-with-marissa-campbell/id1835497338
• MaryAnn Walker coaching: https:maryannwalker.life
• 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
• Join my email list and get a FREE GIFT! https://maryannwalker-life.ck.page/3da1fd88a9

Send us a text

Why Your Anger Isn't the Problem- But a Path to Clarity and Solutions

Are you a people pleaser or highly sensitive person who struggles with feeling safe expressing anger? You’re not alone—and in today’s episode, we’re flipping the script on anger. Instead of seeing it as something to suppress or shame, we’ll explore how anger is actually a powerful messenger guiding you toward healthier boundaries, clearer values, and unmet needs.

I’m MaryAnn Walker, a life coach who helps highly sensitive people and recovering people pleasers reconnect with their emotions so they can feel more empowered and live life on their own terms.

This episode is part two of our anger series. Last time, we discussed why anger feels unsafe for people pleasers and the common ways it shows up. Today, we’re going deeper: what is anger trying to teach you, and how can you use it to create real change in your life?

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to reframe anger as a protective, motivating force rather than a problem to fix.
• How to identify boundaries that need to be set or reinforced and communicate them effectively.
• How anger reveals your core values and helps you assess whether your relationships and actions are in alignment with what matters most.
• How anger signals unmet needs—whether for rest, support, appreciation, or reciprocity—and strategies to meet those needs proactively.
• Practical examples for turning anger into action, from setting digital boundaries to advocating for fairness in relationships.

Challenge for the Week:
When anger shows up, pause and ask yourself:

1. Is this about a boundary I need to set?
2. Is this revealing something about my values?
3. Is this highlighting an unmet need I can address?

Take time to reflect on your answers, and notice how approaching anger with curiosity instead of shame can transform your relationships and your sense of self.

Work With Me:
If you want support uncovering what anger is trying to teach you and learning how to honor your boundaries, values, and needs, I’d love to work with you. Visit www.maryannwalker.life
or email me at [email protected]
to check availability.

Wondering if you're a good candidate for coaching? You can book a free clarity call with me here: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Don’t Forget to Subscribe
Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss future episodes. Each week, we dive deeper into the practices that help recovering people pleasers create balance, self-worth, and authentic connection.

Follow me on my other platforms and join the conversation! 

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

Send us a text

Feeling overwhelmed by the news, politics, or the state of the world? You’re not alone. In this bonus episode, MaryAnn Walker dives into how empaths and highly sensitive people can stay grounded during times of uncertainty — like the current U.S. government shutdown — without shutting down emotionally. She shares practical strategies for transforming overwhelm into hope and meaningful action.

Whether you’re stressed about finances, worried about loved ones, or simply drained by constant headlines, this episode provides tools to help you regain clarity, calm, and control.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How highly sensitive people experience macro vs micro stress during crises
• Techniques to reduce overwhelm while staying empathetic
• Practical ways to take small, meaningful actions that help both yourself and others
• How serving your community can regulate your emotions and restore hope
• Why staying centered in your values is more powerful than trying to fix everything

Challenge for the Week
Ask yourself: what is the one thing weighing heaviest on me right now? Choose one small, compassionate action that can lighten that burden — whether it’s donating to a local food pantry, reaching out to a friend, or simply taking a mindful pause for yourself.

Work With Me
If you’re an empath or highly sensitive person struggling to stay grounded in overwhelming times, I can help you find clarity, calm, and emotional resilience. Email me at [email protected] or click here to get started. https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me

If you have been impacted by the shutdown, reach out. I have deferred billing and scholarships that can help. Want to contribute? Venmo me or add a few bucks to my digital tip jar!

Venmo: @MaryAnn-Walker-Life, Digital Tip Jar: https://maryannwalker-life.kit.com/products/tip-jar

Don’t Forget to Subscribe
If you found this episode helpful, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes on emotional regulation, empath self-care, and navigating life as a highly sensitive person.

• MaryAnn Walker coaching: https:maryannwalker.life
• 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
• Join my email list and get a FREE GIFT! https://maryannwalker-life.ck.page/3da1fd88a9

Send us a text

Why many people pleasers struggle with anger (and how to start feeling it safely)

For many people pleasers, anger feels unsafe, unpredictable, or even shameful. But here’s the truth—anger itself isn’t the problem. It’s actually a signal, like a check engine light, telling us something is out of alignment.

This is part one of a two-part series on anger. In today’s episode, we’ll explore why people pleasers struggle with anger and the many ways it can show up. Next week, we’ll dive into what anger is here to teach us and how it can actually help us live more authentic and aligned lives.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why anger feels so unsafe for people pleasers.
• How suppressing emotions leads to shame, resentment, and burnout.
• The “rule of thirds” of life and why resisting emotions only compounds suffering.
• Sneaky ways anger shows up: passive aggression, sarcasm, silent treatment, martyrdom, over-accommodating, and more.
• Why anger is best understood as a check engine light, inviting curiosity rather than panic.

Challenge for the Week:
Notice how anger shows up for you. Do you turn it inward? Suppress it? Explode? Withdraw? Instead of judging yourself, simply observe your patterns. Awareness is the first step to creating change.

Work With Me:
If you’re ready to better understand your emotions and break free from the cycle of people-pleasing, I’d love to support you. Visit www.maryannwalker.life
to apply for coaching, or email me at [email protected]
.

Don’t Forget to Subscribe:
This is part one of a two-part series on anger. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s episode, where we’ll uncover what anger is here to teach you.

✨ I'm currently offering 6 and 12 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 or 12 week package? email me at [email protected] to get started and inquire about availability.


Let’s Stay Connected:
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannwalker.life
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryannwalker.life

Related Episodes: 

168: Am I The Jerk Now? How to Set Boundaries Without Becoming The Villain https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/17472392

162: How to Stop Fixing, Controlling, and Over-Accomodating Everyonehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/17147279

127: When Someone Makes You Upset: How to Control Your Feelings https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/15548383