What Fawning Really Is and Why It Happens
- May 18
- 1 min read
Updated: May 22
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Episode Description:
Have you ever found yourself abandoning your own needs and desires to keep others happy? Maybe you don’t even know why you’re doing it.
In this episode, Sarah explores what fawning is and why it happens. She shares her own experience and explains how this self-protective behavior develops, often in early childhood, as a way to keep you safe. Sarah offers insight into both the short-term benefits and long-term consequences of fawning.
You’ll learn how this behavior relates to the nervous system and the importance of anchoring into regulation and your adult self. She also discusses how social pressures can influence our tendency to fawn in romantic relationships, friendships, and beyond. Listen in for a compassionate guide for how to come back home to your most authentic self.
Episode Highlights:
00:00 Introduction
01:08 Sarah’s personal experiences of fawning
04:16 What fawning is and why it happens
10:00 Why partners who don’t fawn might feel threatening
12:16 Short-term benefits of fawning
14:10 Long-term ramifications of fawning
17:12 Tools to start allowing yourself to be seen and known
20:20 The influence of social pressures on fawning
26:15 What healing looks like in practice
31:48 Question 1 – How do I know if I’m fawning or just being nice?
37:15 Question 2 – How do I overcome fawning when I’ve made a mistake?
41:11 Question 3 – How do I differentiate between adult me and a fawning part?
