An Epicurean Approach to Stress: 5 Steps to Overcome Anxiety

Stoics are known for their seemingly austere values and beliefs. However, it was more than a philosophy. Stoicism was a way of life. Jules Evans, author of Philosophy for Life: And Other Dangerous Situations, states that stoics taught us that our emotions come from our beliefs. Rightly so. Stoicism places higher regard on virtues and knowledge. They also believed that we are all born with the ability to think and act. These two freedoms shaped your life.

Stoicism’s father, Zeno of Citium, started the philosophy in Athens around 300 BCE, and it quickly gained popularity throughout Ancient Rome. Many notable figures, e Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, and Epictetus, wrote doctrines outlining how a man should live their life. This article will focus on Epictetus’ thoughts and how they can help you relieve stress. 

Epictetus was a slave-turned-Stoic who believed that all external events are beyond our control and that we should expend our efforts on improving the things we can control. But, this philosophy was more than musings. They were a discipline which he truly believed. 

Epictetus’s approach to Stoicism places self-knowledge and logic as its foundations and posits that many of our anxieties arise when we try to control things beyond our capabilities. The Discourse and Enchiridion outline how to differentiate between what is in your ability to control and what is not. 

Interestingly enough, this doctrine inspired the serenity prayer that you might encounter in support groups: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. 

Below, I’ll break down five steps to overcome your anxiety using Epictetus’s approach. 

Question yourself 

The first step to overcoming life’s anxieties is to ask yourself what exactly are you anxious or scared of. This step helps you figure out whether what you are stressing about is within your control or not. 

We spend time fretting over things we have no control over, for example, exams. It is easy to get caught up in a self-punishing cycle of whether you passed or not and how your grades will affect your future. These negative thoughts can spiral out of control, causing you to react in a way that is unhealthy and probably creates more anxiety. 

Often, our emotional reactions and behaviors are a result of a belief. Let’s continue with the example above. Though exams are stressful, your anxiety may stem from the idea that you are a failure or others some other self- distortion. These ideas become beliefs that reside in your unconscious, and therefore you may be unconsciously reacting to them. Though this just an example, it can help you reflect on some of your fears. 

Self-reflection can help you take steps towards improvement. 

Identify the source of stress.  

Once you have taken some time to reflect, identify the source of stress. It can be a work environment, class, or situation that is causing you stress.  

When trapped in these situations, you may do everything to overcome them–thinking that you have control. 

However, most of the things we worry over are external factors, such as other people’s behaviors, reactions, or external circumstances (markets, government, or environment). About less than half of your worries are about things you can control. 

During the pandemic, many people have lost their jobs. This event is more than enough to stir panic and cause conflict. However, you have no control over the situation. Given the circumstance, the best you can do is, ask yourself what you can control.  Sit down and write out a list of worries. Once you have completed the list, winnow out things that depend on someone else’s involvement or external circumstances.  

Action

The Stoics placed a lot of value on actions. They believed that actions spoke more about someone’s character than their words. 

So, with your list in mind, come up with ways to improve or change the things you can control. One of the basic things you can control is your beliefs. I am not referring to religious beliefs or doctrines. I am talking about the preconceived notions and biases you have about yourself and the world around you. 

For example, you are anxious about a presentation or showcase. The reason for your anxiety could be the crowds, but if you dig a bit deeper, you might find that you are afraid of failing or that others will not like you. To change, you must ask yourself why you are afraid, and what can help you overcome that fear. 

In this example, you can probably prepare more or practice before your presentation. Taking action will give you a sense of fulfillment– like you did the best you could– and will minimize regrets. 

Let go

If your fear involves trying to control something other than your thoughts or beliefs, then let go. You can’t change them anyway. Trying to influence others only makes you a slave to the circumstance you are in and stunts your personal growth.  

 Epictetus believed that if you can change your thoughts, you can change your emotions, and ergo your perception of life. Those who are knowledgeable of modern psychotherapy might find this line of thinking familiar. That is because Stoicism inspired Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Both methods aim to help you recognize what beliefs spark emotions and behaviors. The goal is for you to question and challenge those beliefs and hopefully change your behaviors and life. 

It is easier said than done. Sometimes worrying seems like a default setting. 

One way to learn to let go is to see if you can still cope. Continuing with the example above, if you are afraid of failure, ask yourself if you will cope even after you fail. You might think you won’t be able to, but the truth might surprise you– you will. 

Convert actions into habits

Whether planned or not, we all have daily routines. For most of us, our routines are formed in our subconscious. We go about our day on autopilot and wonder where did our time go. But, if you want to strive towards improvement and stress-free life, you need to start being intentional about what you do. 

Epictetus once said, “Progress is achieved not by luck or accident, but by working on yourself every day.”  Hence, practice every day. Challenge and change your old belief systems every day until the new beliefs become second nature. 

This advice works for any area of life–whether you are trying to start a business or improve your anxiety. 

It takes time to change your old habits and ways of thinking, so don’t be harsh on yourself. Be compassionate to yourself, and keep going, even if you waver.

If there is one thing you should take away from the article, it is this: choice gives way to action and action to progress. You might be incapable of choosing your circumstances, but you can choose how you react to them. 

I hope this article was helpful! Leave a comment below telling us what points you found helpful! 

Take care!

sources: 

Baltzly, Dirk, “Stoicism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2019/entries/stoicism/>.

Tate, K. R. (2019, June 5). The Stoic theory and how it can be used to ease anxiety. WellBeing Magazine. https://www.wellbeing.com.au/mind-spirit/mind/stoicism.html. 

Vaya, M. (2020, April 30). 5 Step Process to Never be Anxious – Epictetus | Discourses by Epictetus. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IRMe4l-MK4. 

Wikipedia. (2021, June 6). Epictetus. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epictetus.