Mind Coach NOLA on Ancient Wisdom for Dealing with Anxiety

Many people seek a coach to help reduce their anxiety. It’s a common problem in our day and age, with the media inflicting images of doom, and gloom glowering from every corner of our cobwebbed minds in the middle of the night. Some people become paralyzed by this anxiety, so that they cannot muster the energy, let alone the motivation, to spring into action. The worry affects their self esteem so that their self confidence plummets. Some may even question their very existence, perhaps to the point of self loathing.

Luckily, we can look back to Seneca for some practical every day advice. This Roman Stoic philosopher was a life coach (if not The Life Coach) of his time. He dispersed advice on the importance of controlling our emotions and practicing gratitude. Millennia later, we now have scientific evidence for the power of positive thinking and for daily meditations of appreciation.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes (translated from Latin):

It is likely that some troubles will befall us; but it is not a present fact. How often has the unexpected happened! How often has the expected never come to pass! And even though it is ordained to be, what does it avail to run out to meet your suffering? You will suffer soon enough, when it arrives; so look forward meanwhile to better things. 

Nowadays we call this mindfulness. Live in the moment. Carpe diem! Que será, será! Don’t worry, be happy! Notice what you have now, and be grateful. There is no point in worrying. It will serve you no good. Trust that in the end, all is well that ends well. Where’s my coffee mug with a Seneca saying? Oh, no coffee in Rome back then? How about a toga with a catchy phrase in a cute font? It won't show with all those folds in the fabric? Dang.