Stoicism is an ancient philosophy founded in Athens around 300 BCE by Zeno of Citium and has recently seen an influx in popularity over the past several years.
Stoicism teaches to live in accordance with nature by practicing the four virtues; wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance (moderation). One of its main principles is to focus on what is in our control such as our thoughts and interpretations of things. Everything else we have no control over.
Stoic teachings can give us strength throughout these uncertain times and help us cope with the obstacles we face daily in our lives. We can implement its teachings to help us achieve happiness and tranquility.
The majority of us are facing difficult times due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the world. Unemployment is on the rise and those that are still working are either working from home or dealing with restrictions and precautions. Many people are struggling, wondering where the next paycheck will come from.
We have no control over the COVID-19 pandemic, nor do we know how long it will last and affect our day to day lives. However, what we do have complete control over is our thoughts and how we choose to react to the situation. Seneca, the Roman philosopher stated “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality” and despite being written nearly 2000 years ago that statement remains extremely relevant today.
The ancient Stoic philosophers knew all about focusing on what we can control and believed that in order to achieve the good life, we should focus on the those things and accept the rest as it happens.
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will. — Epictetus
Stoicism teaches us to view obstacles as opportunities, embrace fate and use the situations handed to us to practice virtue. Marcus Aurelius wrote:
The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.
What if we can use this pandemic to our advantage? What if we can find courage and strength throughout these times? What if we can use this time to materialize personal development?
View the current events happening in the world with a positive opportunistic appeal. Feeling like a prisoner of your own home is not the proper mindset to embrace throughout this pandemic. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the world is against you. That won’t make this pandemic easier to get through. We should view these tough times of isolation and social distancing as an opportunity, not as an obstacle.
With an abundance of free time, we can seek to improve ourselves both physically and mentally. We can take the opportunity to learn more, acquire new skills, quit bad habits or start new healthy ones. We can pursue our passions and exercise both the mind and body. What better time than now to take control of our lives.
Shakespeare wrote King Lear during a quarantine from the plague. Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations during the Antonine Plague while serving as emperor of Rome. Both of which are considered classic literature today.
It’s easy to sit on the couch all day binge watching Netflix and snacking on chips but why not instead use this time to become a better you and emerge from this as a stronger person? Don’t get trapped in the addiction of comfort. Humans weren’t meant to eat junk food while mindless scrolling through social media.
From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do, now. — Epictetus
Start today to form new healthy habits, even if it’s just small steps at first. Sticking to healthy habits can lead to great improvement and success overtime. Start an exercise routine, eat healthy whole foods, read daily, complete important tasks, learn new skills, meditate. Maybe there’s a side business you’ve been wanting to start but never found the time to, or a set of dumbbells you purchased months ago but were too busy to get into a weight lifting routine. Now is the time to take action.
Practice temperance by reducing/cutting out the toxic things in your life that are detrimental to your health both mentally and physically. Things such as alcohol, drugs, processed foods, sugar, binge watching tv, social media, porn, complaining and toxic people. An abundance of these things can be fairly destructive to our own personal well being.
It’s never too late to start forming habits now that can change your life. During this quarantine do you want to be the person who complains all the time and feels terrible? Or would you rather grow as a person and become well prepared for whatever life throws at you?
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