The more you need their approval, the cheaper you’ll sell your time to get it.

Wanting somebody’s approval sets your price. The more you need the nod, the more hours you will give away, the more favours you will do unasked, and the lower the bar gets for what counts as being appreciated. Nobody has to exploit this on purpose for it to cost you most of your free time.

Notice what you are currently doing mainly to be thought well of. Keep the ones you would do anyway and quietly stop one of the others. See whether anything you were worried about actually happens.