Agency

Agency is belief we have control over our lives and can influence our environment and life choices with positive outcomes and consequences, instead of feeling passively influenced by external factors. We’re capable of acting independently in initiating/directing actions toward goals. When confident in our abilities across different areas of life (high self-efficacy), a strong sense of agency leads to more motivation, goal-oriented behavior, resilience facing challenges, and greater overall wellbeing. Agency is linked to the concept of locus of control (perception of control as either internal/agency or external/fate). A diminished sense of agency can be associated with mental health conditions and feeling powerless. Also see Personal Agency.