We can think of coaching work as involving two distinct, overarching activities - exploration and action. In our coaching practice working with topics such as imposter syndrome, stress management and resilience, we often notice a preference for clients to stay in exploration mode. Sometimes this can feel like a more comfortable area to stay in - taking action can sometimes feel daunting particularly where stress and anxiety are being experienced. However, taking an action-oriented approach is important.

Much research confirms that when we overly focus on ourselves, our situation and our feelings, it can lead us into a “state orientation”. This can cause us to ruminate, over-think things and get stuck – and these activities are known to heighten, or lead to, anxiety. Our personal resilience will be enhanced by ensuring we strike a good balance between being able to tune into and regulate our emotions whilst avoiding being overly focused on them.

We can define anxiety as being excessively or disproportionately concerned or worried about a possible future event or activity**

Where stress is being experienced, it can be helpful to look at the positive force that stress and mild anxiety can provide. While it can cause us to withdraw, or become passive or angry, it can also spur us on in a positive way, if we allow ourselves to take a different perspective on it.

The physiological signs of anticipatory excitement and nervousness are very similar – feeling tense, increased heart rate, feeling sweaty, jittery, feeling preoccupied, having butterflies in the tummy, etc. Elite athletes are trained to recognise these sensations and to interpret them as excitement or readiness for the activity ahead (feeling “pumped”). They don’t describe these sensations as anxiety, or as signs that they are unable to cope. Perspective matters.

Clinical psychologist and anxiety expert Dr Tracy Dennis-Tiwary considers that anxiety isn’t a pathology or a sickness but an evolved advantage that protects us and strengthens our creative and productive powers. So maybe we need to unlearn those messages that anxiety is always negative and that we can’t (and shouldn’t be expected) to cope with it. We can.

Adopting an “action orientation” is associated with greater resilience and lowered anxiety – it sees us focusing outside of ourselves to the steps or actions we will take in the real world.  It is well-established that overly focusing on how we are feeling, ruminating, and being very inwardly focused, is clearly associated with poor resilience and anxiety.

Recognising how we are feeling and being able to regulate these emotions so that they don’t overtake us is important.  Taking action and using stress as a positive driver leads to greater resilience.

What are your thoughts and experiences about being in a state vs. an action orientation? Do you recognise either? What steps could you take to adopt more of an action orientation?

** The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 5 defines anxiety as: Disorder Class: Anxiety Disorders. A. Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance).