For modern-day students, stress seems completely unavoidable with an attack of multiple exams, having to perfect their personal statements and somehow knowing what they want to do for the rest of their life. It is easy to be completely overwhelmed and have no idea how to navigate all of this without burning-out. However, an ancient philosophy offers a surprisingly sharp remedy - Stoicism.
Stoicism is one of the most well-known ancient Greek and Roman philosophies, which was founded by a Greek man - Zeno of Citium - in 300 BC and then developed on by numerous other prominent philosophical figures, such as Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. The fact it was founded over 2,300 years ago is completely irrelevant - it is still widely considered as one of the most applicable philosophies for day-to-day life due to the sheer wisdom embedded in the Stoic teachings.
One of the core Stoic ideas is the ‘Dichotomy of Control’, which divides everything into two clear categories: things we can influence and things we can’t. For students, they can’t control the exact questions which will appear on their exams, how strictly an examiner will mark them, or whether a university admissions team will accept their applications. This means that, according to Stoicism, constantly worrying about these external variables is pointless. It has no effect at all on the outcome and only causes students to suffer for no reason. This energy is better spent on things they can control. This includes the hours they put into revision, the quality of their work and their adaptability.
Another fundamental stoic principle is ‘Amor Fati’, which is Latin for ‘love your fate’. Rather than resisting fate, it encourages acceptance of unfavourable outcomes. Rejection is, unfortunately, a common aspect of being a student applying for competitive apprenticeships and university courses. However, rejection doesn’t have to be strictly negative. Instead, students should embrace their new circumstances and make the best of a supposedly-bad situation.
Therefore, by embracing these two Stoic principles, students can simultaneously lessen the mental burden of relentless anxiety and perceived failure and improve their own productivity. This is because they cannot control these external variables, and whatever outcome they achieve is part of their fate. So by shifting their focus onto accepting every outcome and self-improvement, students can finally be liberated from the cycle of stress and solve academic burnout. Even after all this time, ancient philosophies haven’t become less effective. They are just as important as they were back then.
Sources:
Stoicism Beliefs, Principles, Tenets, and Values
The Dichotomy of Control: Stoicism’s Most Useful Idea (With Examples)
Amor Fati: The Formula for Human Greatness
Viyana Patel