The stoic way of life is not easy, but it’s also not a quick fix. It requires dedication, commitment, and patience from start to finish. You’ll need to work through your fears and insecurities as well as those around you.
You’ll also have to learn how to deal with setbacks and, when those inevitably happen (and they will), how to respond without falling into the trap of feeling defeated or ashamed of yourself or your situation.
If this sounds like something that could be useful for anyone looking for solutions on how to practice stoicism or any other self-improvement tools beyond the typical advice about setting goals and making lists or exercising more frequently, then I hope this article has been helpful.
Table of Contents
What is stoicism?
Stoicism is a philosophy that teaches people to be tolerant of others and not take things personally. It’s a way of life that encourages self-control, discipline, and acceptance. It is based on the belief in the power of reason, so it does not emphasize negative emotions like anger or anxiety; instead, try being nicer to others.
It teaches that you should strive to be your best self, but not because of what other people think. You should do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.
How did stoicism start?
The word “stoicism” comes from the ancient Greek city of Citium, which was once part of Cyprus. Stoics were first known as Zeno’s Stoics, or Stoa, after their founder Zenon, who lived in Athens in the fourth century BC.
Zeno was a Phoenician merchant from Citium (modern-day Cyprus) who became an important philosopher after meeting Socrates during his travels around Greece teaching philosophy.
He later moved to Athens and founded his school there. Stoicism focuses on living a virtuous life by accepting pain and misfortune stoically rather than trying to avoid them through escapism or denial; this mentality is called “Stoic fatalism”.
It has been the predominant philosophy of ancient Rome, Greece, and other countries. Firstly, it was popular in ancient Rome but faded when Christianity came to dominate society.
Stoicism was revived again in the Renaissance and 19th century when it became more popular among intellectuals due to its logical structure and practical approach to living life as best one can under given circumstances.
It is a way of life that teaches us to put our interests before others and to be content in the face of adversity.
Why is stoicism important?
Stoicism is a philosophy that teaches you to be more resilient, confident, and compassionate. It encourages you to practice gratitude and mindfulness.
Resilience – If you’re dealing with stress in your life, stoicism can help you deal with it better by helping you learn how to handle difficult situations with grace and dignity.
Confidence – The ancient Greeks believed that being calm under pressure was important, and they were right. Stoics believe that there are no bad days as long as we keep our heads high during difficult times (and also take some time off).
Compassion – The ancient Greeks practiced compassion through their philosophy of being “good” rather than just being “right.”
This idea resonates with me because I’ve realized how much easier it is for me not only to find my way but also to provide support for others when we share similar philosophies about living life wisely without judgment or bias towards others’ choices (or lack thereof).
Stoicism is the most powerful self-improvement practice because it teaches you how to be happy by focusing on what’s in your control. It can help you deal with all kinds of difficult situations, from big problems like grief or trauma to small annoyances like being stuck in traffic.
The key is finding a balance between letting yourself feel bad about things and being able to control them, so they don’t become bigger problems later on down the roads.
As you can see, stoicism is a good fit for pretty much everyone. It will improve your mental health, physical health, and relationships not to mention your career and finances.
So why not try it?
Let’s practice some stoic practices along the way.
How to practice stoicism?
There are many different ways to practice stoicism and self-improvement, but it’s important to choose the one that works best for you. These practices might include journaling, meditation, or even just spending time with yourself in silence. Whatever you decide on doing, try new things every day so that they become routine.
“The first principle of practical Stoicism is this: we don’t react to events; we react to our judgments about them, and the judgments are up to us.”
Ward Farnsworth, The Practicing Stoic
1. Negative Visualization
Negative visualization is a practice that can help you to stay positive, even in times of stress. It involves imagining your worst-case scenario and then working towards a goal that would make you happy.
The benefits of this practice include:
- Developing an ability to visualize the future in detail.
- Training yourself to be hopeful while also being realistic at all times.
- Learning how to use your imagination effectively and positively.
2. Practicing Speechlessness
To practice speechlessness, you will need a list of things that you want to say. This can be as long or short as you’d like, and the items on this list mustn’t be necessarily negative (i.e., “I hate my life”).
Once your list is complete, write down all the sentences that would come out of your mouth if any of these things were said:
- “You’re an idiot.”
- “Your new boyfriend is an asshole.”
- “I’m going home because my cat died last week.”
3. Focusing your attention
- Focus on what is in your control.
- Focus on your thoughts, not on the world around you.
- Focus on the present, not the past or future. This will help you stay grounded, which will help with self-esteem issues and anxiety.
Focus on what you can control
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and lose sight of things that are outside of our control, but as we all know, everything is always changing. When we get too busy focusing on what’s happening around us, it can be easy to forget about ourselves and our actions and thoughts.
We should always keep in mind that there are things within our power to improve whether they be situations or relationships and those things should be worked on until they reach their full potential.
The Stoics believed this was key to improving oneself:
4. Know yourself
When you know yourself, you can be more effective and be happier. And your life will feel more meaningful and purposeful.
Knowing who we are as individuals is one of the most important things that we must do to improve ourselves as people and succeed at whatever we set out to do (or want).
Read more
5. Know the difference between things that are in your control and things that are not.
When you’re feeling stressed, it can be hard to tell what is out of your control and what isn’t. You might think that someone else’s actions or emotions are affecting you, but they aren’t.
This is one of the most important Stoic practices for self-improvement: knowing the difference between things that are in your control, and things that aren’t.
Here are some examples:
Your thoughts are something you can control; other people’s thoughts are not within your power to change or prevent from happening (even if they’re negative).
Your actions will always have consequences good or bad but these consequences don’t last forever; eventually, something else happens that causes another action by someone else which then leads back down a cycle of cause-and-effect where all sorts of different outcomes occur but none last forever either.
6. Define your purpose in life, and then align your actions with that purpose.
Define your purpose in life. This is a big one, and it’s important to do this before you start any practice or project.
The Stoic philosophers were convinced that if you can’t find something to live for, then there’s no point in living at all. It doesn’t help anyone else if we’re just going through the motions of life with no real reason or meaning behind our actions.
Define your purpose in life by asking yourself these questions:
“What do I want out of life?”
“Who am I?
What am I unique at doing?”
If the answers aren’t clear enough yet because they haven’t been defined yet then ask more questions until those answers become clearer (e.g., “What is my passion?”).
Once those answers become clear define them as specific goals so that they can be aligned with other activities in your daily routine (e.g., reading books about philosophy every day).
7. Begin every day by reminding yourself what a privilege it is to be alive.
The first thing you should do is remind yourself what a privilege it is to be alive.
You may have just woken up from your sleep, or maybe you’ve been asleep for days and now you’re awake again. The point is that there are people who have died before and will die again, so don’t take anything for granted.
You might not wake up tomorrow morning if this is the last time we see each other; but even if everything goes wrong in our lives and we never see each other again, then those chances are still better than the alternative: no life at all.
Life can be hard sometimes but when things go wrong, remember that there’s always something good waiting around the corner whether we want it or not (and sometimes even if we don’t).
Conclusion
In conclusion, stoicism is a great tool for self-improvement and can be used for many things. It helps you to get in touch with yourself, which can be a valuable skill when it comes time for decision-making or worrying about the future.
The best part about this practice is that it doesn’t require any special equipment or time commitment from either person.
The key takeaway is that you should practice stoicism in the same way you would any other skill. We all need to exercise our minds and bodies, but trying to do it while being angry or sad will only make things worse.
You can’t force yourself into a good mood or ignore bad emotions; they just aren’t part of your normal day-to-day life. It takes time for your brain chemistry to shift away from negative emotions, so don’t expect immediate results.
References
Let’s boost your self-growth with Believe in Mind.
Interested in self-reflection tips, learning hacks, and knowing ways to calm down your mind? We offer you the best content which you have been looking for.