Everyone experiences fear and anxiety at some point in life. These emotions are universal. But if anxiety is part of your everyday life then you might be feeling overwhelmed. Makes sense. But you don’t need to stay stuck. You can consider taking advice from the ancient Stoic philosophers of ancient Greece. They have some ideas that can help you handle anxiety. In this blog post, we will look at advice on fear and anxiety and focus on the practical advice they have to share.
Understanding the Stoic Approach
Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy. It teaches people to stay strong and logical during life’s challenges. In Stoicism, it is important to understand what we can control (internal) and what we can’t (external). Seneca, a Greek philosopher, stresses the importance of telling fear apart from anxiety.
Seneca’s wisdom can be summarized in the quote, “Don’t suffer until necessary.” This idea encourages us to think about our fears and worries in terms of the here and now. We often worry about things that may never happen or that we can’t control. Seneca’s advice encourages us to focus on the present moment and on aspects of our lives that we can control.
In short, it is important to accept what is beyond our control. This acceptance is not a resignation to fate but a recognition of reality. By acknowledging the limits of what we can control, we can free ourselves from anxiety. Anxiety wants us to try to maintain a firm grip on as many things as possible so we can avoid feeling out of control. Most people think that being in control of everything will help, but it often makes anxiety worse.
Stoicism teaches us to face challenges , instead of trying to control everything. Instead of letting emotions control us, we can respond with careful thought. With practice, we can control our thoughts and beliefs. This helps us handle difficulties with calm and reason.
Our thoughts and beliefs play a huge role in shaping our experiences. By approaching challenges with reason, we can transform our emotional responses. Instead of acting , we should acknowledge our emotions and choose positive actions.
Practical Exercises for Applying Stoic Principles
So what can you do to help foster a more reason based approach to anxiety?
A simple but effective tool is mindfulness journaling. This helps you to explore and record your thoughts and emotions. By practicing this, you can find distorted thinking patterns and change negative thoughts.
Another way is the circle of control. Begin by making a picture of what you can control and what you cannot control. Doing this exercise can help you remember to focus on what you can control and to let go of those things that you cannot control.
I encourage you to read more about the stoics and how they navigated strong emotions. You are bound to find something useful.
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