Why So Many Capable People Feel Anxious at Work
- Marina Shearer
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
There is a quiet assumption many of us make in workplaces.
We assume other people experience work the way we do. If we are coping, we assume others are coping. If we are overwhelmed, we assume everyone else must feel the same.
The truth is, no one truly knows how another person is feeling internally.
Most people spend a significant portion of their lives attempting to manage, mask, soften, or hide what is happening beneath the surface. We become highly skilled at reducing the outward exposure of our inward feelings.
A capable employee can look calm while feeling deeply unsettled.A high performer can appear organised while internally battling exhaustion.A confident professional can still feel anxious every single day. This is part of the complexity of modern work.
Anxiety in the workplace is not always created by one major event. For many people, it is the accumulation of constant change. Everything is changing everywhere. Workplace systems change.Technology changes. Communication expectations change. Reporting lines change. Economic conditions change. Family dynamics change. Social expectations change. And while some people experience change as stimulating and energising, others experience it as deeply destabilising.
For individuals who value steadiness, predictability, structure, and a solid foundation beneath them, ongoing change can feel profoundly discombobulating. It is rarely just one workplace process changing.
It is the multitude of changes occurring simultaneously across all facets of life.
The speed of change.The intensity of change.The relentless pace and regularity of change. Eventually, the nervous system can begin to feel overwhelmed.
This is why generic advice often falls short.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to workplace anxiety because people are not wired the same way. What stabilises one person may further destabilise another.
The key is understanding yourself:-
Understanding:
how you personally respond to change
what specifically creates anxiety for you
what environments help you feel psychologically steady
what internal needs are currently not being met
and what strategies genuinely help you regain stability
This work is deeply individual.
The encouraging news is that it is absolutely possible to stabilise instability.
When people gain insight into themselves, their reactions begin to make sense. Self-awareness reduces self-judgement. Clarity creates options. Understanding creates agency.
In my work with clients, I often see significant shifts occur within just three coaching sessions.
Session One
A Drawmetrics psychometric profile explanation.
This session helps uncover the deeper unconscious patterns influencing how you think, respond, cope, process pressure, and navigate change.
Session Two
Creating meaning around your personal needs.
Together we explore what stability looks like for you, what needs are currently unmet, and what may be contributing to ongoing anxiety or emotional fatigue.
Session Three
Strategies to stabilise yourself for the future. Practical, personalised strategies designed specifically for your personality, nervous system, and way of operating in the world. Not generic advice. Not “just think positively.” Not forcing yourself to become someone you are not. But understanding yourself well enough to navigate modern life with greater steadiness, self-awareness, and resilience.
Because many capable people are not failing. They are simply trying to function inside environments and rates of change their nervous systems were never designed to absorb continuously.
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DIRECTOR PROFILE Coaching Ltd
BSc.psychology
Diploma Professional Coaching
Certified Practitioner and Accreditation Coach
Marina Shearer is a seasoned leader, educator, and innovator with over 30 years of experience across various industries in New Zealand. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Canterbury and a Diploma in Professional Coaching from the Southern Institute of Technology, she has dedicated her career to empowering others. As the Director of PROFILE Coaching NZ, Marina specialises in certifying coaches and HR professionals in psychometric profiles, enhancing their ability to understand and develop talent effectively. Her passion for teaching and commitment to personal growth have made her a respected figure in the coaching community. Marina facilitates the PROFILE Coaching Coaches Collective and the NZ Coaching Collective, places where professional coaches connect, collaborate and grow.
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