Breaking the anxious cycle of self-criticism: Action orientation buffers the detrimental effects of a self-critical personality style

•Self-critical Ps easily enter and action-oriented Ps easily exit negative affect.•Self-critical Ps have more psychological symptoms.•Anxious motive enactment mediates this relationship and this creates a cycle.•Action orientation buffers the detrimental effects of a self-critical style.•Clinical implications: action orientation can be trained to help self-critical Ps.