The final step is to create some “at-hand” phrases you can tell yourself when intentionally practicing discomfort. At-hand phrases are an important part of Stoic practice; we’ll encounter them more throughout this book. They’re generally used as reminders of basic Stoic principles. Here, the purpose of these phrases is to remind yourself why you’re

Use this table to strategize how you can respond Stoically if things go wrong. Try this for up to three of your plans for the day.

WEEK 6 Premeditation of future adversity

Whenever you encounter something unfortunate happening to someone else, whether it be in person, on the news, or on social media, take a moment to remind yourself that it could happen to you as well.

Before you settle on your choice, you should also be sure that the exposure is doable for you. Ask yourself: How hard will the exercise be for you on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being super easy and 10 being next to impossible? If your answer was 3 to 5, then great! This seems like an exercise you’re likely to accomplish while still pushing your bou

Last week you practiced focusing on an outside view in order to quash your desires for things to go how you want them to. This week is similar. You’re now countering desires about other people’s behaviors. Instead of doing so by taking an outside view of your own struggles, you’re taking an inside view of other people’s actions.

Now that you’ve listed some possibilities, choose a type of discomfort you’d like to focus on for the week. Here are some tips: Concentrate on something that happens often. Ask yourself: If you were able to wave a magic wand to make yourself completely resilient to this discomfort, would your life improve dramatically? If

the Stoic premeditatio’s goal is to loosen our attachment to external events in general, from something as simple as breaking your favorite cup (to use Epictetus’s example from Week 3) to the death of a loved one. Since you’re only doing this for a day, we do not recommend starting with a serious situation.

By performing this exercise, you’ll gain perspective on why people’s actions may seem reasonable to them, and, through that, develop sympathy.