Good Girl Syndrome

How to stop pleasing everyone and start thinking about you

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re putting yourself last? That it’s difficult to make decisions because you’re too busy wondering what everyone will think, or trying too hard to please others because the word ‘no’ simply doesn’t exist in your vocabulary? Do you find yourself maintaining unhealthy relationships solely out of a fear of hurting people’s feelings? You might just be suffering from good girl syndrome.

On paper, there’s nothing wrong with being nice, but when it manifests as an inability to draw boundaries, address confrontational situations, and stand up for your beliefs, goodness can become a problem, especially, when you sacrifice being yourself in order to keep other people happy. We’re often taught that it’s a good thing to live for others, to not put a foot out of line, to make ourselves small so that others can grow and dim our light so others can shine bright.

In this book, psychologist Marta Martínez Novoa guides you on a journey into your past to help understand why you feel the way you do in the present, and build a future in which you are your own priority. You’ll discover the keys to freeing yourself from the trap of ‘goodness’, and learn to look after yourself, feeling bolder and more confident in everything you do.