According to Baker and Vincent’s research, there are four core beliefs that typically underlie the super-helper syndrome and drive compulsive helping. One of the most powerful, particularly in the workplace, is the belief that ‘they couldn’t survive without me’.

“Do you believe you have no choice, that you are indispensable, and that the people you are helping/the project you are working on couldn’t cope without you?” Baker asks. If so, you’re likely to keep giving to the point of exhaustion or berate yourself for not helping enough (even when you could not have done more).

So what can you do about super-helper syndrome in the workplace, particularly when saying no isn’t always easy or sensible if you want to keep your job.

“While saying yes to requests for help can benefit your career or self-esteem in the short term, it’s pretty clear that most of the other consequences for you are negative: you are the one who ends up suffering,” Baker explains.

“It might help you to remember one thing when you are next being asked for help: your ultimate responsibility is not your boss, not your employer, not your team – it’s to yourself: looking after your own needs, protecting your own boundaries and asserting your human rights. Because if you aren’t doing these things, who is going to?”

Are you always going above and beyond at work? How ‘super-helper syndrome’ is impacting your career