Alright, you’ve probably read a zillion articles about happiness online and you’re not a zillion times happier. What gives?
Reading ain’t the same as doing. You wouldn’t expect to read some martial arts books and then go kick ass like Bruce Lee, would you? All behavior, all changes, must be trained.
The ancient Stoics knew this. They didn’t write stuff just to be read. They created rituals — exercises — to be performed to train your mind to respond properly to life so you could live it well.
From The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living:
And what’s fascinating is that modern scientific research agrees with a surprising amount of what these guys were talking about 2000 years ago.
Okay, kiddo, time to rummage through the Stoic toolbox and dig out some simple rituals you can use to be much happier.
So let’s say life decides to suplex you and you’re feeling 32 flavors of bad. What’s the first thing in the Stoic bag of philosophical tricks to improve how you feel — and help you make better choices in the future?
Read more: New Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You Happy
Ask, “What Would I Recommend If This Happened To Someone Else?”
Traffic is terrible. Your friend is driving. He leans on the horn, punches the steering wheel, and shouts at the other drivers. You’re like, “Jeez, calm down. Why you getting so worked up? Chill.”
The next day traffic is terrible but you’re driving… So, of course, you lean on the horn, punch the steering wheel, and shout at the other drivers.
See the problem here, Sherlock? We all do it. But there’s a lesson to be learned that the Stoics knew a few millennia ago…
When something bad happens, ask yourself, “What would I recommend if this happened to someone else?” And then do that. You’ll probably be more rational. And it’s harder to ignore the advice — because it’s your own.
From A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy:
Slick advice. Does it work? When I spoke with Duke professor Dan Ariely, author of the bestseller Predictably Irrational, he said pretty much the same thing. He called it “taking the outside perspective.” Here’s Dan:
The Golden Rule says “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In honor of the Stoics, I’m going to suggest that when something gets you worked up you should follow “The Toga Rule” and “Do unto yourself what you would recommend to others.”
(To learn the 6 rituals that ancient wisdom says will make your life awesome, click here.)
Alright, you’re following “The Toga Rule” when life goes sideways. But some reactions are hard to squelch. You have bad habits. We all do. So what do the Stoics have on their Batman utility belt to deal with bad habits?
Turns out they were way ahead of their time on this one…
Use The “Discipline Of Assent”
There’s usually a moment — however brief — when you decide to give in to an impulse or resist it. You have a choice. But you agree to act out that script you’ve performed a 1000 times, even though it always has lousy consequences.
The Stoics were big on not getting carried away by thoughts and feelings. The “discipline of assent” is to feel that impulse, that desire to do something you know you shouldn’t, and not give in. But, as you know, that is really freakin’ hard.
Epictetus thought the key was that moment when you’re deciding. Catch yourself when you’re about to act and just postpone. You don’t have to grit your teeth and be a willpower superhero yet. Just pause and think. In Discourses and Selected Writings Epictetus said:
And modern research into breaking bad habits says the same thing. First catch yourself in the act, and then postpone:
Great, you resisted. But it’s gonna happen again… So how do you break bad habits? You don’t.
You replace them. In Discourses and Selected Writings Epictetus said:
And recent science says the exact same thing. Don’t try to eliminate; replace.
From The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business:
(To learn the science of breaking all your bad habits for good, click here.)
Alright, clearing out the bad is good. But just taking out the negative doesn’t necessarily increase the positive. Because you want. You want and need and crave. Enough is never really enough because we all eventually take things for granted and then find new, even shinier things to need…
How can you stop running on this treadmill of desire and finally just be happy with what you have? Stoics to the rescue…
Read more: New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful
Make It A Treat
The Stoics understood just how miserable runaway desire can make you. In his book Enchiridion, Epictetus wrote:
And, frankly, the Stoic response to this was pretty extreme. To make themselves appreciate the things they had, these guys would deliberately contemplate losing everything they loved. They’d think about death. A lot. They’d deprive themselves of every pleasure to force themselves to stop taking things for granted.
From The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living:
And research shows doing that really works. But it ain’t any kind of fun. Luckily, there is a less painful way to get similar results…
What’s something you used to relish that you now take for granted? Did that first morning cup of coffee used to be a wonderful moment — and now it’s just something you hastily gulp down? Well, skip it for three days.
This isn’t merely something old dead guys recommend. When I spoke to Harvard professor Mike Norton he said this is how you can regain appreciation for the things that you’ve taken for granted. Make them a treat. Here’s Mike:
And then, once the three days are over, oh man, SAVOR that coffee — or whatever it is that you’ve denied yourself. Yes, the Stoics want you to deeply enjoy it. They weren’t a bunch of joyless bores and they weren’t like Spock from “Star Trek.” They didn’t believe in being unemotional; they just fought negative emotions.
The Stoics believed in living in the present moment so you could enjoy life more.
From The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living:
And, yes, science backs up Stoic savoring. When you’re focused on the present and turn your attention to the pleasurable experience in front of you, you’re happier.
Via Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth:
Deprive yourself a bit — then savor the hell out it. This is how you can stop wanting and start enjoying what you have.
(To learn the 4 Stoic secrets to becoming mentally strong, click here.)
Now it’s time for the big one: how can you make sure your life keeps getting better? Or, put another way: how can you make sure you’re getting better at life? Not making the same mistakes, always learning and improving so that every day is better than the one before? Toga-truth to the rescue…
Do An Evening Review
Annual reviews at work don’t do much for happiness. But the Stoics were big fans of reviewing your day so that you can improve your life.
From The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living:
But does reflecting on your actions really make a difference?
Yup. When bestselling author David Epstein looked at what makes great athletes great he found that the magic word was “reflection.” They think about what they’ve done and ask themselves if it’s working. Here’s David:
An evening ritual where you reflect on what you did that day is critical. Seneca, one of the heavy hitters of Stoicism said this:
Ask yourself what you did wrong today. Ask yourself what you should have done that you didn’t do. Now you know how you can improve tomorrow. But don’t beat yourself up. Be like Seneca and forgive yourself. Have some self-compassion.
Did you procrastinate today? Research shows that it’s forgiving yourself — not beating yourself up — that prevents you from continuing to put things off.
And don’t just be critical of yourself. Think about what you did well so you can repeat it tomorrow. Be grateful for the good that happened today. Yes, Stoicism gives the thumbs up to gratitude. Marcus Aurelius believed in “counting your blessings.”
From The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living:
And writing those blessings down before you go to bed is one of the most scientifically proven methods for boosting happiness.
(To learn more happiness tips from ancient philosophy, click here.)
Okay, you’ve earned your toga. Time to round up everything you now have in your Stoic bag o’ tricks and learn the ancient technique for getting along with other people so we can all be happy…
Read more: How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert
Sum Up
Here’s what Stoicism says will make you happier:
If you want to be happy, relationships are key. But all too often we focus on what others should be doing for us. That’s a prescription for frustration.
One of the most fundamental principles in Stoicism is that you need to focus on what you can control. And you can’t control other people. (Okay, maybe you can but those methods result in significant jail time.)
The Stoics knew that you can control what you do. And very often, that will affect how others treat you. Seneca put it very simply:
Yes, science backs that up. But reading ain’t the same as doing…
So show someone you love them today. It’s the Stoic thing to do.
Join over 285,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.
This article originally appeared on Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Buy Barker’s book Barking Up The Wrong Tree here
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com