5 Stoicism Practices That Will Help Bring Calm to the Chaos We Face Today
Bring Calm to the Chaos We Face Today with Stoic values
Stoic philosophy is characterised by its practicality on a day-to-day basis. The Stoics performed what is known as “spiritual exercises” and used them for strength. In this article, we will discuss 5 practices to start applying Stoicism daily.
1. Practice Meditation
Stoicism does not advocate dogmatic and demanding liturgical practice, but rather a serious confrontation of the individual with himself, to be aware daily that he uses rational mechanisms to achieve well-being.
Seneca advises that we meditate on what happened in our daily lives as often as possible, analysing how we responded to events and how we could have improved the outcome using Stoic principles.
For example, when one has meditated on openly criticising someone, one should not only analyse whether the criticism is valid, but whether the criticised person can bear the criticism with maturity.
A piece of advice from Epictetus: “if people praise you for yourself, distrust yourself.” When we meditate on what happened, we prepare ourselves to act in the future with greater temperance and thus improve our peace of mind.
But how do we know that we are progressing? According to Epictetus, on the one hand, we will stop complaining; censure or flatter others; brag about us and our knowledge. On the other hand, when things don’t go as expected, we will blame ourselves and not the external circumstances.
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2. Practice Authenticity
Seneca, in his Letters to Lucilius, urges him to choose a role model to provide a standard for living. Of course, this is an idea that is by no means unique to Stoicism, but Seneca exposes why it is a necessary step in our quest for the good life.
Principles that can help us navigate even the most challenging and treacherous circumstances, as well as standards against which we can judge our behaviour on a day-to-day basis.
We must choose a reference, a model, and the rule with which to measure ourselves. But we must not forget to be ourselves.
Choose a model to look at, but don’t forget to keep your authenticity.
Also See: 5 Easy Ways to Learn Stoicism
3. Practice Discomfort
Seneca suggested that we should set aside a certain number of days each month to practice poverty. Eating less food, wearing our worst clothes, moving away from the comfort of our home and our bed.
Ask yourself: “Is this what I used to fear?” It’s important to remember that this is an exercise and not a rhetorical device. It doesn’t mean “thinking about” misfortune, it means living it. He remembers that Stoicism is a practical philosophy.
Comfort is the worst kind of bondage because you are always afraid that something or someone will take it away from you.
Emotions like anxiety and fear are rooted in uncertainty and rarely in experience. Become familiar with the things we are afraid of. Practice what you fear, whether it’s a simulation in your mind or real life.
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