Perfectionism, People Pleasing, and Guilt: The 3 Hidden Causes of Anxiety
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Perfectionism, People Pleasing, and Guilt: The 3 Hidden Causes of Anxiety

14:12 Jan 26, 2026
About this episode
If you're ready for structured daily guidance to help you retrain the anxiety loop and respond to fear differently, visit anxietyguyprograms.com to find the program that fits what you're going through right now. ✨ Today's Episode: In today's episode, I'm breaking down three hidden patterns that quietly keep anxiety alive in the background of your life: perfectionism, people-pleasing, and guilt. These aren't just "bad habits." For many people, they're early survival strategies your nervous system learned to stay safe, stay connected, and avoid rejection. The problem is that what once helped you cope can now keep your body stuck in hypervigilance, tension, and overthinking. You'll learn how perfectionism trains your system to believe it's never safe to rest, how people-pleasing keeps you scanning others for approval, and how guilt becomes an invisible leash that pulls you back into overdoing and self-abandonment. Most importantly, I'll give you simple, practical ways to start putting these weights down without creating more fear or pressure. ▶️ Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts: Subscribe Here Spotify: Subscribe Here YouTube: Subscribe Here Episode page: Catch up on previous episodes here 👥 About Dennis / Connect: Instagram: @theanxietyguy · YouTube: Click Here · Facebook Support: Click Here 📝 Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider if you have specific medical or mental health concerns. Credits: Host: Dennis Simsek
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