Emotional Stability and Marcus Aurelius

One of my favorite characters in history is the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

In his book Meditations, he writes about his restlessness, dread, and self-doubt. While ruling the Roman Empire, he faced numerous sleepless nights and episodes of self-criticism.

He used Stoic philosophy to observe, question, and discipline his emotional states. He did not suppress his negative feelings, but responded through structure, values, and self-talk.

My takeaway from this is: you can’t control what you feel, but you can train how you respond.

A few practices to strengthen emotional stability:

1. Breathe before you begin: Practice daily relaxation techniques.

2. Rethink the narrative: Reframe negative thoughts by questioning assumptions. Ask: “What’s another way to see this situation?”

3. Protect your bandwidth: Set boundaries and take regular short breaks.

4. Solve, don’t spiral: Use structured problem-solving to deal with challenges.

5. Don’t go it alone: Talk to trusted colleagues or mentors for support.