How to stay informed—without losing your cool or your sanity.
These days, it’s hard to check the news or scroll social media without finding a new evil or injustice that has been foisted upon us. Political gerrymandering, the Iran war, rising gas prices, vaccine skeptics at the CDC—and that was yesterday. Once a news junkie, for my own mental well-being, I’ve personally instituted a news and social media curfew that runs from 9pm to 9am. Out of sight and (sort of) out of mind.
But what if the issue isn’t the breaking news, but the way I’m perceiving it? What if instead of the latest headlines bringing me down, I was able to quickly pivot to something else like all the good things in my life. My wife, my home, my pussycats. Might it be possible to remain an informed citizen without the news causing me to lose my mind?
The Stoics may have the answer.
Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy that dates to 300 B.C. It’s based on a set of high moral standards like treating everyone fairly and justly, regardless of their class or social standing. It also offers us a unique way to deal with adversity, personal and otherwise. By distinguishing between what we can change and what we must endure, Stoicism provides a blueprint for remaining a person of character even when the world around us seems to be losing its way.
To be a stoic is to know how to manage your feelings and take life—and the news—in stride. The stoic is not easily rattled and remains calm under pressure, seemingly oblivious to external circumstances. (Think the Tim Robbins character in The Shawshank Redemption.) Stoics don’t get angry or lose their cool. They remain the masters of their own internal and external response to events, even when things are going to sh*t around them.
How do the Stoics do it?
Stoics have a way of looking at the world from a different perspective than most of us, using a few coping mechanisms to help them keep their emotions in check. I discovered several of these strategies in a podcast series called The Stoic Path on the Waking Up app. It’s hosted by William B. Irvine, a professor of philosophy and author of several books on stoic philosophy.
While Irvine offers a total of fourteen separate lessons on stoicism, I found the following three to be the most helpful. This philosophy, which predates Christianity by 300 years, has valuable lessons to teach us today. Following the lead of the stoics can both help us keep our cool in a world on fire, while helping us regain an appreciation for the everyday world around us.
3 Lessons from the Stoic Playbook
- Change the way you frame events.
The core of Stoic practice is the realization that external events don’t cause problems. It’s how you react to them. In today’s world, it’s easy to feel pummeled by the steady drumbeat of breaking news or politicians whose actions are contrary to your personal values. To maintain your cool, you’ve got to reframe these events to reduce the outrage that often follows.
Irvine suggests we have the choice to view negative events through one of two lenses. The first is the “Blame Frame.” With this perspective, we view political headlines as a personal affront to us or a sign that the country is falling apart. When you operate in this frame, every news update feels like a blow to your well-being. It leaves you stuck in a state of reactive anger and helplessness.
But there’s an alternate approach: Use the “Game Frame” to reframe the events. Instead of seeing a distressing political development as a personal indignity, view it as a challenge set by “the Stoic Gods” (or fate) to test your character. This turns a negative event into a game of skill. It’s not “This news is ruining my day,” but rather, “This news is an opportunity for me to practice courage, self-discipline, and focus on what I can actually influence” tapping into an inner strength you may not realize you have.
When you reframe national events this way, you move the goalposts. You stop trying to control the uncontrollable (the actions of the White House) and start mastering what you can control (your response). Sure, it’s easier said than done. But by refusing to let external chaos dictate your internal peace, you reclaim your power. You remove anger and angst from your life (or at least reduce it), by remembering that no one can do harm to you unless you let them. And why let them?
- Approach life with a fresh set of eyes.
What if you could look at life as a child again? Imagine seeing a flowing fountain in a plaza, the sun setting on the horizon, or your cat playing with a toy mouse, for the first time in your life. You might be awe-struck that such things even existed. The fact is, due to a perceived familiarity and a “seen this, done that” attitude, we often stop paying attention to the world around us. Items that once grabbed our attention, now seem mundane. You don’t quite look at them, you look past them or through them.
Irvine suggest that we try a “fresh eyes project.” With this exercise, we look at our surroundings as if we are seeing them for the first time. You can start with the place you live. Pretend for a moment you were never in your home before and move from room to room looking at the details, the crown molding around the door frames, the curios on the bookshelf, the plant sitting in the corner.
I tried this exercise, and upon walking into a spare bathroom, I was surprised to find a beautiful painting by Monet, The Beach at Sainte-Adresse, hanging on a corner wall. I suppose I knew it was there, but I hadn’t really seen it for years. It had become like wallpaper. By reclaiming the beauty we allowed to fade into the background, we prove to ourselves that we still have the power to choose what we focus on, news headlines be damned.
- Pretend the good things in your life were suddenly gone.
There are many things in life we take for granted. Irvine asks us to try a Stoic exercise that poses a chilling question: What if the good things were suddenly removed? What if the cup of coffee in your hand was taken away? What if you lost your ability to hear the voices of people you love? What if your home or your health—things you assume will always be there—suddenly vanished?
We’re surrounded by good and amazing things that we’ve allowed to become invisible. From the smartphone in your pocket to the simple ability to walk through your neighborhood and feel safe, these are luxuries that many cannot access. And if you look around, you’re sure to see dozens of things you couldn’t imagine being without but that rarely get the appreciation they deserve.
While headlines focus on what is breaking, this Stoic exercise anchors us in the “hidden abundance” the news cycle ignores. By imagining the loss of our comforts, we transform them from background noise into active sources of strength. Negative news is less likely to drown out your peace when you are fully awake to the value of the life you already have.
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