At the end of each day, reflect on what made you angry, afraid, or bruised your ego, as Seneca did. This practice helps temper expectations and release you from mis-evaluations, fostering a healthier perspective for the next day.
Actively dwell on and anticipate worst-case scenarios, such as mortality or potential misfortunes. This mental exercise helps cushion against dreaded possibilities, preparing you mentally so you are not caught off guard and can respond better if they occur.
When setting intentions, plans, or goals, always include a ‘unless’ clause, hedging your bets (e.g., ‘I will go for a boat ride unless it rains’). This cultivates mental agility and adaptability, preventing disappointment by not being fixed on a single outcome, but rather on striving your best.
Actively monitor your ‘impressions’ and patterns of attention, especially impulsive ones that lead to anger, prejudice, or misjudgment. Practice not assenting to these immediately, instead introducing a layer of reflection to put space between the impulse and your reaction, allowing you to change your perspective and better interact with the world.
Practice visualizing yourself at the center of concentric circles, with the outermost circle representing humanity. Through zealous effort and vivid imagination, bring those distant circles closer to your center, diminishing ego investment and fostering a sense of shared humanity and connection.
Understand that Stoicism is about tempering your emotions, not suppressing them or ‘sucking it up.’ The goal is to manage strong feelings so they don’t run away from you, allowing for equilibrium and inner resources.
Identify and release ‘sticky attachments’ or excessive acquisitiveness to specific outcomes, material possessions, or reputation. This helps you broaden your perspective on what truly matters and reduces the impact of narcissistic bruises.
Regularly question whether you are valuing the right things in life, such as pursuing more money versus contributing to a better world, or seeking strength at all costs versus ethical goodness. This ensures your investments align with a flourishing life for yourself and others.
Reject the notion of being invincible or anti-fragile; instead, acknowledge and deal with your vulnerability. Stoicism aims to help you cope with life’s uncertainties and challenges, not to make you immune to them.
Recognize that you cannot ‘do it on your own’ and actively cultivate friendships, family attachments, and community connections. These social supports are crucial for resilience and maintaining equilibrium when facing adversity.
While practicing reflection and self-improvement, be mindful not to ‘beat up on yourself’ or become overly neurotic. Strive for a balance between wanting to be good and being good to yourself, ensuring practices don’t lead to sleepless nights or excessive self-criticism.
Consider combining Stoic discursive reflection with Eastern meditation practices that focus on quieting the mind. This can help temper ‘heavy mental lifting’ and reduce internal ‘chatter’ or ’litigious’ self-talk.
Incorporate lightness and humor into your approach to life’s challenges and relationships. This helps foster social bonds, allows you to take yourself less seriously, and contributes to a more human and connected way of being Stoic.
Download the 10% Happier app to seamlessly transition from listening to the podcast to practicing meditation. The app offers guided meditations, courses, and ad-free podcast episodes to help cultivate mental skills like compassion, managing difficult conversations, and pausing before reacting.