The philosopher’s guide to managing stress

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself. It is due to your estimate of it, and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” – Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and philosopher

Marcus Aurelius was the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age remembered for peace and stability that lasted from 27 BC to 180 AD. Today, Marcus Aurelius is best known for his Meditations, a collection of writings on Stoic philosophy. His timeless wisdom has inspired monarchs, politicians, entrepreneurs, and ordinary people like me.

Today’s quote from Meditations gives us a tool for handling stress. When a distressing event occurs, most of us magnify it in our minds. Then we dwell on it, giving it more power and space in our imagination. For example, think of all the times you had medical tests and imagined worst-case scenarios before you learned the results. Or, consider how you worried when your child or a friend forgot to answer your text or phone call.

People who are always stressed and anxious tend to overreact, which might explain the increase in dangerous road rage incidents and the overall decline of civility.

In his Substack column (1/22/25) last week, Dan Rather shared some current statistics that were released by the American Psychological Association in its annual “Stress in America” survey. According to this survey, he wrote, “a large majority of respondents said the future of the nation is a significant source of stress in their lives.”

He went on to underscore the fact that this national stress isn’t limited to one political party. “Eighty percent of Republicans rated it a top stressor, as did 79% of Democrats and 73% of independents,” Rather explained. “The survey also reported that 46% of Americans wouldn’t date someone who didn’t share their political views. And the saddest finding: More than 40% say the state of the nation has made them consider moving to a different country.”

I know I shouldn’t stress about things beyond my control. I have lots of inner work to do. So I’m trying to remember that the more power I give to anything that contributes to my anxiety — personal or political — the more it undermines my health and wellbeing. And I need to take back that power. ~CL

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