Here’s what the Stoicism, a highly practical yet insightful philosophy from Ancient Greece, has to say about dealing with stress:
Premeditate
Premeditation involves imagining the future and thinking about all the bad things that can happen. This technique helps put things into perspective, prepares you for the worst, come back to earth and realise the importance of being in the present.
Self - Denial
Intentionally deny yourself modern basics like a Starbucks Mocha or television time or an expensive watch. The Stoics, back in the time, would resort to skipping meals. This not only helps you build self-control but also helps you to develop the critical ability to achieve almost anything in life. It also makes you experience a deeper sense of gratitude towards what you already have and feel less driven or anxious towards what you do not have.
Both gratitude and self-control are important tools that are needed to start coping with stress.
Act Like You Are Not Stressed
This advice from the Stoics is far ahead of its time. Scientific research shows that altering your body language and putting up a smile actually changes our mental state, making us feel happier and less stressed.
Stoics understood that adopting the body language of someone not stressed helps us overcome a lot of obstacles organically, obstacles we otherwise might not have jumped over.
So the next time you are stressed, relax your facial muscles, take a few deep breaths and do something you enjoy which seems to take away the stress!
