Anxiety is the mind projecting itself into an uncertain future. The Stoics understood this over two thousand years ago. Marcus Aurelius, writing in his journal during military campaigns and plague, returned again and again to a simple insight: most of what we fear never happens, and what does happen can be endured. Epictetus taught that anxiety arises not from events themselves, but from our judgments about them. Below are passages from the Meditations, Discourses, and Enchiridion that speak directly to the anxious mind.
What the Stoics Said
You cannot quench understanding unless you put out the insights that compose it. But you can rekindle those at will, like glowing coals. I can control my thoughts as necessary; then how can I be troubled? What is outside my mind means nothing to it. Absorb that lesson and your feet stand firm.
You can return to life. Look at things as you did before. And life returns.
Meditations 7.2
The first step: Don’t be anxious. Nature controls it all. And before long you’ll be no one, nowhere—like Hadrian, like Augustus.
The second step: Concentrate on what you have to do. Fix your eyes on it. Remind yourself that your task is to be a good human being; remind yourself what nature demands of people. Then do it, without hesitation, and speak the truth as you see it. But with kindness. With humility. Without hypocrisy.
Meditations 8.5
It’s all in how you perceive it. You’re in control. You can dispense with misperception at will, like rounding the point. Serenity, total calm, safe anchorage.
Meditations 12.22
Character and self-control.
Meditations 1.1
People try to get away from it all—to the country, to the beach, to the mountains. You always wish that you could too. Which is idiotic: you can get away from it anytime you like.
By going within.
Nowhere you can go is more peaceful—more free of interruptions—than your own soul. Especially if you have other things to rely on. An instant’s recollection and there it is: complete tranquillity. And by tranquillity I mean a kind of harmony.
So keep getting away from it all—like that. Renew yourself. But keep it brief and basic. A quick visit should be enough to ward off all < … > and send you back ready to face what awaits you.
What’s there to complain about? People’s misbehavior? But take into consideration:
- that rational beings exist for one another;
- that doing what’s right sometimes requires patience;
- that no one does the wrong thing deliberately;
- and the number of people who have feuded and envied and hated and fought and died and been buried.
… and keep your mouth shut.
Or are you complaining about the things the world assigns you? But consider the two options: Providence or atoms. And all the arguments for seeing the world as a city.
Or is it your body? Keep in mind that when the mind detaches itself and realizes its own nature, it no longer has anything to do with ordinary life—the rough and the smooth, either one. And remember all you’ve been taught—and accepted—about pain and pleasure.
Or is it your reputation that’s bothering you? But look at how soon we’re all forgotten. The abyss of endless time that swallows it all. The emptiness of all those applauding hands. The people who praise us—how capricious they are, how arbitrary. And the tiny region in which it all takes place. The whole earth a point in space—and most of it uninhabited. How many people there will be to admire you, and who they are.
So keep this refuge in mind: the back roads of your self. Above all, no strain and no stress. Be straightforward. Look at things like a man, like a human being, like a citizen, like a mortal. And among the things you turn to, these two:
- That things have no hold on the soul. They stand there unmoving, outside it. Disturbance comes only from within—from our own perceptions.
- That everything you see will soon alter and cease to exist. Think of how many changes you’ve already seen. “The world is nothing but change. Our life is only perception.”
Meditations 4.3
Self-contraction: the mind’s requirements are satisfied by doing what we should, and by the calm it brings us.
Meditations 7.28
Just keep in mind: the more we value things outside our control, the less control we have. And among things outside our control is not only access to, but relief from, public office; not just work, but leisure too.
Discourses 4.4.23
Our case is much the same. What do we value? Externals. What do we look after? Externals. [12] So of course, we are going to experience fear and nervousness. Faced with external circumstances that we judge to be bad, we cannot help but be frightened and apprehensive. [13] ‘Please, God,’ we say, ‘relieve me of my anxiety.’ Listen, stupid, you have hands, God gave them to you himself. You might as well get on your knees and pray that your nose won’t run. A better idea would be to wipe your nose and forgo the prayer. The point is, isn’t there anything God gave you for your present problem? [14] You have the gifts of courage, fortitude and endurance. With ‘hands’ like these, do you still need somebody to help wipe your nose?
Discourses 2.16.11
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Stoicism reduce anxiety?
Yes. Stoicism offers practical techniques for reducing anxiety by shifting focus from what we cannot control to what we can. The core Stoic practice is the dichotomy of control, taught by Epictetus in the Enchiridion: examine whether the thing causing anxiety is within your power. If it is, act. If not, let it go. Marcus Aurelius practiced this daily in his Meditations, reminding himself that most fears are about things that have not yet happened and may never happen.
How do Stoics deal with anxiety?
Stoics deal with anxiety through a combination of practices: examining their judgments (is this truly bad, or am I adding unnecessary interpretation?), focusing only on what is within their control, and practicing negative visualization to prepare for the worst so it loses its power to frighten. Epictetus teaches in the Discourses that our disturbance comes not from things, but from our opinions about things. Marcus Aurelius repeatedly reminds himself in the Meditations to return to the present moment rather than projecting into an uncertain future.
What are the 5 Stoic practices to calm your anxiety?
Five key Stoic practices for calming anxiety are: (1) the dichotomy of control — distinguish what is up to you from what is not; (2) negative visualization (premeditatio malorum) — briefly imagine the worst to defuse fear’s grip; (3) present-moment awareness — Marcus Aurelius reminds himself to stay with what is, not what might be; (4) examining impressions — Epictetus teaches to question every anxious thought before accepting it; and (5) the view from above — zoom out to see your worries in the context of all of time and space.
What is the Stoic mantra for anxiety?
The closest thing to a Stoic mantra for anxiety comes from Epictetus: “It is not things that disturb us, but our judgments about things.” This single line from the Enchiridion captures the entire Stoic approach to anxiety. Marcus Aurelius echoes this throughout the Meditations, reminding himself that he has the power to remove any disturbance by changing how he perceives it. The disturbance is never in the event — it is always in the interpretation.
What does Marcus Aurelius say about anxiety?
Marcus Aurelius addresses anxiety throughout the Meditations. He reminds himself not to be troubled about the future, to focus on the present task, and that most of what we fear is a product of the imagination rather than reality. He writes about the shortness of life as a reason not to waste time worrying, and about accepting nature’s course rather than resisting it. His approach is consistently practical: identify the worry, ask whether it is within your control, and if not, return your attention to what you can do right now.
What does Epictetus say about anxiety?
Epictetus’s core teaching is that we suffer not from events but from our judgments about them. In the Discourses and Enchiridion, he argues that anxiety comes from wanting things outside our control to be different. His prescription is radical: confine your desires and aversions only to things within your power — your choices, your character, your responses. Everything else — health, reputation, outcomes — is “not up to us.” Once you truly accept this, he teaches, anxiety loses its foundation.