This Ancient Greek school of thought may hold the key to happier, stress-free days.
Accept what you cannot control.
One of the most common things kids say is “That’s not fair!”
Even before they fully comprehend what ‘fair’ really means, they know they don’t like it.
By the time we become adults, we’ve learned that in fact, life is often unfair.
Recognize what you might change, and take meaningful action.
Break out of binary thinking.
Stoics were skeptical of the idea that most things in life are either all good or all bad.
“This creates space for a more helpful, balanced voice.”
This makes sense in theory, but it can be tough to put into practice.
How easy is it to ignore the praise and instead direct your laser focus toward that one negative comment?
Learning how to keep one side from overshadowing the other is an important practice for healthy human development.
Be skeptical of your own thoughts.
Perception isn’t always reality.
This principle of Stoicism asks us to challenge whether our thoughts are objectively truthful.
When we accept these thoughts as truth, we limit ourselves and feel stressed and unhappy."
How do we challenge these thoughts?
or “What would I tell a good friend if they told me this?”
The idea is to look for faults in your own argument.
Write it down, then act on it.
Stoicism encourages turning words into work.
“This kind of intentional living aligns us with our values, which promotes inner happiness.”
Appreciate the moment.
A central concept in Stoicism is that of memento mori, Latin for Remember, you must die.
Prepare for adversity.
Its a concept called premeditatio malorum, which is Latin for premeditation of evils.
Youre also imagining how you would respond to those negative situations with resilience.
2018;5(4):e11290.
