4 life hacks from ancient philosophers that will make you happier

4 life hacks from ancient philosophers that will make you happier4 life hacks from ancient philosophers that will make you happierYouve probably heard about Stoics or Stoicism - and most of what you know is wrong.They werent joyless bores.The ancient Stoics were the first lifehackers the Original Gangsters of Making Life Awesome.ViaA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient species of Stoic JoyThe Stoics. . . were very much interested in human psychology and were not at all averse to using psychological tricks to overcome certain aspects of human psychology, such as the presence in us of negative emotion.Awesome.But does the Old World hold up when it meets the New World? Does science agree with the thinkers of antiquity?Absolutely.I enthusiastically, maybe evenfrantically, suggest you roll old school.In the past, Ive looked at the science behindDale Carnegies old saws about getting along with people. Lets give the saatkorn treatment to classical thinkers.Where do science and the great min ds of the old world agree when it comes to living the good life?1. Whats the worst that could happen?Ever asked that? Congrats, youre a stoic philosopher.Negative Visualization is one of the main tools of Stoicism.Really thinking about just how awful things can be often has the ironic effect of making you realize theyre not that bad.From my interview with Oliver Burkeman, author ofThe Antidote Happiness for People Who Cant Stand Positive ThinkingIts what the Stoics call, the premeditation that theres actually a lot of peace of mind to be gained in thinking carefully and in detail and consciously about how badly things could go.In most situations youre going to discover that your anxiety or your fears about those situations were exaggerated.In fact, the Stoics pushed it further take a second and imagine losing the things that matter to you most. Family. Friends.Yes, its scary. But doesnt it make you appreciate them all that much mora when you take the time to think about losing them ?A few seconds of thinking about loss can dramatically boost gratitude.ViaA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyAt spare moments in the day,make it a point to contemplate the loss of whatever you value in life. It can make you realize, if only for a time, how lucky you are - how much you have to be thankful for, almost regardless of your circumstancesAnd science agreesPracticing gratitude is at the center of the single most proven technique for boosting happiness3 blessings.Though deliberately thinking about losing stuff may sound morbid, the fact that it taps into emotions is powerfully motivating.Gratitude is how you stop taking things for granted. How you stay happy after the newness of things is gone. How you keep love alive.(mora on negative visualizationhere.)2. As ifThe Stoics valued tranquility and thought being angry was a waste of time. But what should you do when your blood boils?Force a smile. Soften your voice. Seneca thought if you act calm, you will be come calm.ViaA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyWhen angry, says Seneca, we should take steps to turn all angers indications into their opposites. We should force ourselves to relax our face, soften our voice, and slow our pace of walking. If we do this, our internal state will soon come to resemble our external state, and our anger, says Seneca, will have dissipated.Does outright faking it really work?Yup. And science agrees.Researchers told people to smile. What happened? They actually felt happier.ViaThe As If PrincipleMore than 26,000 people responded. All of the participants were randomly assigned to one of a handful of groups and asked to carry out various exercises designed to make them happier. . . When it came to increasing happiness,those altering their facial expressions came out on top of the class . . .(More on fake it until you make it here.)3. Make it atreatWe want everything and we want it yesterday.The Stoics, on the other hand, used to deliberatel y walk around on cold days without a coat. Or skip meals to become hungry. Why?Denying yourself something makes you appreciate the things you take for granted.Ancient advice? Yeah, it sounds like something my grandfather would have said. But science agrees wholeheartedly.Harvard professor and author of Happy Money, Michael Norton says a bit of self-denial is a huge happiness booster. . . if you love, every day, having the same coffee, dont have it for a few days. Once you have it again, its going to be way more amazing than all of the ones that you would have had in the meantime. . .Its not give it up forever. Its give it up for short periods of time, and I promise you youre going to love it even more when you come back to it.Making the things you take for granted into a treat is something the ancients and scientists agree on. Plus it has other benefits too.Grandpa was right it does make you tougher to go without. It increases willpower.ViaA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyWhat Stoics discover, though, is that willpower is like muscle power The more they exercise their will, the stronger it gets. Indeed, by practicing Stoic self-denial techniques over a long period, Stoics can transform themselves into individuals remarkable for their courage and self-control.Science agrees.Self-control expert and author of Willpower, Roy Baumeister, says exerting discipline increases disciplinePeople have said for centuries that you can build character by making yourself do things you dont want to do, thatby exerting self-discipline you can make yourself into a stronger person. That does appear to be correct.And whats more responsible for success than IQ or pretty much anything else? Self-control.Today skip that Starbucks or that cookie. Itll be even better tomorrow. And itll increase your willpower.(More on how to boost self-controlhere.)4. Its OKto stumbleDoes Stoicism seem hard? Dont want to think about how awful things can be right now?Dont want to give up your ice cream for a day?They knew that too.What did Epictetus tell his students after he taught them these Stoic lifehacks?He told them what to do when they screw up - because we all do.Forgive yourself.ViaA Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyThe Stoics understood that they would encounter setbacks in their practice of Stoicism Thus, Epictetus, after telling his students what they must do to practice Stoicisim, went on to tell them what they should do when they failed to follow his advice. He expected, in other words, that novice Stoics would routinely backslide. Along similar lines, Marcus recommends that when our practice falls short of Stoic precepts, we should not become despondent and certainly should not give up our attempts to practice Stoicism instead, we should return to the attack and realize that if we can do the right thing, Stoically speaking, most of the time, we are doing pretty well for ourselves.And what does science say we should dowhen we los e self-control or procrastinate?Forgive yourself and move on.ViaThe Willpower Instinct How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of ItStudy after study shows that self-criticism is consistently associated with less motivation and worse self-control. It is also one of the single biggest predictors of depression, which drains both I will power and I want power. In contrast, self-compassion- being supportive and kind to yourself, especially in the face of stress and failure- is associated with more motivation and better self-control.In trying to do anything to better your life, its okay to stumble. It takes time. You learn.(More on self-compassion here.)Sum upYouve only got 30,000 days of life. Seriously.Heres what classical philosophers and modern science agree can make those days betterWhats the worst that could happen?As ifMake it atreatIts OK to stumbleJoin 45K+ readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsWhat 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple EmailsThe Way To Happiness Remember The 4 PsThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.4 life hacks from ancient philosophers that will make you happierYouve probably heard about Stoics or Stoicism - and most of what you know is wrong.They werent joyless bores. The ancient Stoics were the first lifehackers The Original Gangsters of Making Life Awesome.Via A Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyThe Stoics were very much interested in human psychology and were not at all averse to using psychological tricks to overcome certain aspects of human psychology, such as the presence in us of negative emotion.Awesome. But does the Old World hold up when it meets the New World? Does science agree with the thinkers of antiquity?Absolutely. I enthusiastically, maybe even frantically, suggest you roll old school.In the past, Ive looked at the science behind Dale Carnegies old saws about getting along with people. Lets give the same treatment to classical thinkers.Where do science and the great minds of the old world agree when it comes to living the good life?1) Whats the worst that could happen?Ever asked that? Congrats, youre a stoic philosopher.Negative Visualization is one of the main tools of Stoicism.Really thinking about just how awful things can be often has the ironic effect of making you realize theyre not that bad.From my interview with Oliver Burkeman, author of The Antidote Happiness for People Who Cant Stand Positive ThinkingIts what the Stoics call, the premeditation that theres actually a lot of peace of mind to be gained in thinking carefully and in detail and consciously about how badly things could go. In most situations youre going to discover that your anxiety or your fears about those situations were exaggerated.In fact, the Stoics pushed it further take a second and imagine losing the things that matter to you most. Family. Friends.Yes , its scary. But doesnt it make you appreciate them all that much more when you take the time to think about losing them?A few seconds of thinking about loss can dramatically boost gratitude.Via A Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyAt spare moments in the day, make it a point to contemplate the loss of whatever you value in life. It can make you realize, if only for a time, how lucky you are - how much you have to be thankful for, almost regardless of your circumstances And science agrees Practicing gratitude is at the center of the single most proven technique for boosting happiness 3 blessings.Though deliberately thinking about losing stuff may sound morbid, the fact that it taps into emotions is powerfully motivating.Gratitude is how you stop taking things for granted. How you stay happy after the newness of things is gone. How you keep love alive.(More on negative visualization here.)2) As ifThe Stoics valued tranquility and thought being angry was a waste of ti me. But what should you do when your blood boils?Force a smile. Soften your voice. Seneca thought if you act calm, you will become calm.Via A Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyWhen angry, says Seneca, we should take steps to turn all angers indications into their opposites. We should force ourselves to relax our face, soften our voice, and slow our pace of walking. If we do this, our internal state will soon come to resemble our external state, and our anger, says Seneca, will have dissipated.Does outright faking it really work?Yup. And science agrees.Researchers told people to smile. What happened? They actually felt happier.Via The As If PrincipleMore than 26,000 people responded. All of the participants were randomly assigned to one of a handful of groups and asked to carry out various exercises designed to make them happier When it came to increasing happiness, those altering their facial expressions came out on top of the class (More on fake it until you make i t here.)3) Make it a treatWe want everything and we want it yesterday.The Stoics, on the other hand, used to deliberately walk around on cold days without a coat. Or skip meals to become hungry. Why?Denying yourself something makes you appreciate the things you take for granted.Ancient advice? Yeah, it sounds like something my grandfather would have said. But science agrees wholeheartedly.Harvard professor and author of Happy Money, Michael Norton says a bit of self-denial is a huge happiness booster if you love, every day, having the same coffee, dont have it for a few days. Once you have it again, its going to be way more amazing than all of the ones that you would have had in the meantime. Its not give it up forever. Its give it up for short periods of time, and I promise you youre going to love it even more when you come back to it.Making the things you take for granted into a treat is something the ancients and scientists agree on. Plus it has other benefits too.Grandpa was ri ght it does make you tougher to go without. It increases willpower.Via A Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyWhat Stoics discover, though, is that willpower is like muscle power The more they exercise their will, the stronger it gets. Indeed, by practicing Stoic self-denial techniques over a long period, Stoics can transform themselves into individuals remarkable for their courage and self-control.Science agrees. Self-control expert and author of Willpower, Roy Baumeister, says exerting discipline increases disciplinePeople have said for centuries that you can build character by making yourself do things you dont want to do, that by exerting self-discipline you can make yourself into a stronger person. That does appear to be correct.And whats more responsible for success than IQ or pretty much anything else? Self-control.Today skip that Starbucks or that cookie. Itll be even better tomorrow. And itll increase your willpower.(More on how to boost self-control here.)4) Its okay to stumbleDoes Stoicism seem hard? Dont want to think about how awful things can be right now? Dont want to give up your ice cream for a day?They knew that too. What did Epictetus tell his students after he taught them these Stoic lifehacks?He told them what to do when they screw up - because we all do.Forgive yourself.Via A Guide to the Good Life The Ancient Art of Stoic JoyThe Stoics understood that they would encounter setbacks in their practice of Stoicism Thus, Epictetus, after telling his students what they must do to practice Stoicisim, went on to tell them what they should do when they failed to follow his advice. He expected, in other words, that novice Stoics would routinely backslide. Along similar lines, Marcus recommends that when our practice falls short of Stoic precepts, we should not become despondent and certainly should not give up our attempts to practice Stoicism instead, we should return to the attack and realize that if we can do the right thing, Sto ically speaking, most of the time, we are doing pretty well for ourselves.And what does science say we should do when we lose self-control or procrastinate?Forgive yourself and move on.Via The Willpower Instinct How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of ItStudy after study shows that self-criticism is consistently associated with less motivation and worse self-control. It is also one of the single biggest predictors of depression, which drains both I will power and I want power. In contrast, self-compassion- being supportive and kind to yourself, especially in the face of stress and failure- is associated with more motivation and better self-control.In trying to do anything to better your life, its okay to stumble. It takes time. You learn.(More on self-compassion here.)Sum upYouve only got 30,000 days of life. Seriously. Heres what classical philosophers and modern science agree can make those days betterWhats The Worst That Could Happen?As IfMake It A TreatIts Okay To StumbleJoin over 320,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Thisarticlefirst appeared in 2014 onBarking up the Wrong Tree.