Caring Less About What Others Think
Stop caring what others think about you.
Now that I’ve got your attention, let me back up. We’ve all been there—so consumed by “what will they think?” that we lose sight of what we think. But if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that trying to please everyone just makes you boring.
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We’re talking about the age-old dilemma: caring way too much about what others think. And guess what? It’s not about magically not caring—because, spoiler alert, that’s just not human.
Instead, we’re going to explore how to care in a way that doesn’t consume you and helps you navigate those tricky situations without becoming a people-pleasing puddle or a self-doubting wreck.
In this episode, we dig deep into why caring less isn’t the goal and how instead, we can shift our focus to making decisions that align with our values—without letting others’ expectations throw us off track. Think of it as a little reminder that, yeah, it’s okay to care, just don’t let it rule your life.
So if you’ve ever found yourself worrying about that one person’s opinion, or dreading a reaction that hasn’t even happened yet—well, you’re definitely not alone.
In this episode, I’m talking about:
Balancing care in a way that aligns with your values and respects our own and others' autonomy.
Managing the fear of others’ opinions.
Authenticity in communication.
How to avoid self-censorship.
How having uncomfortable conversations is necessary for growth and connection.
Balancing respect and disagreement with others.
Evaluating the impact of caring.
Using others’ opinions as information rather than a directive.
Understanding that staying true to your purpose may involve standing out or bringing new ideas to the forefront.
Tweetable Quotes
“It's not necessarily about caring less because there's no magic in that. It's how do we care just as much, but then make decisions based on what we need, our values.” - Rachelle Heinemann
“For those of the people who, at least on the outside, look like they don't care, I think for the most part, they're faking it.” - Rachelle Heinemann
“Can we be impacted less by our anticipation of other people's reactions or responses?” - Rachelle Heinemann
“If I push you away, you don't learn. I don't get to teach. I don't get to learn from other people. And one of the things that I absolutely love is being an educator.” - Rachelle Heinemann
“It's not necessarily about caring less. It's about doing things that feel better for you, that feel more aligned with your values, and keeping other people in mind.” - Rachelle Heinemann
Resources
Grab the Replay of the Resistance in Treatment Webinar
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Related Episodes
Episode 137. Eating Disorder Recovery Cannot Happen Without This
Episode 136. Critical Thinking about Anti-Diet Messages
Episode 124. How the ED People Are Pushing the Masses Away
Episode 123. The Beauty Ideal with Nechami Tennenbaum, MBA
Episode 121. The Comparison Trap and Eating Disorders
Episode 114. What Every Therapist Wished Psychiatrists Knew About Eating Disorders
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Hey there! I’m Rachelle, the host of the Understanding Disordered Eating Podcast. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I work with clients to make sense of life’s messy emotional experiences.
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