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At first, I kept trying harder because I thought maybe I wasn't doing enough.

But sometimes the problem isn't the amount of effort. It's that the person has a different expectation of what effort should look like.

Exactly. I eventually realized I was exhausting myself trying to prove my intentions

And constantly proving yourself can make a relationship feel more like an examination than a connection.

I started asking myself whether I was doing it willingly or just trying to avoid disappointing them.

That's an important question because effort stops feeling healthy when fear becomes the main motivation.

I think I also expected them to notice the little things I was doing.