Journaling: Advice from the Stoics

Guidance from the ancients on fueling your writing habits

What good shall I do this day? - Benjamin Franklin

Daily reflections are nothing new and date back to ancient Greece and Rome, described first in The Golden Verses of Pythagoras (6th-century B.C.E). Nonetheless, we believe writing is easily one of the best vehicles for self-improvement which 100% coincides with the ideal Stoic lifestyle many of us aim to achieve.

You may find that the most common misconception about journaling is that it’s used solely for writing down your feelings or venting frustrations. However, used correctly, journaling is a way of keeping yourself in check, as it can aid in holding you accountable for your thoughts and subsequent actions. You can also use journaling to reflect on each day and work out how to do better moving forward.

Examples of Journaling from the Big Three (Stoics)

Remind yourself of your duty to be a good man and rehearse what man’s nature demands… Always, though, in kindness, integrity, and sincerity. — Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius

Perhaps the most famed Stoic of today’s age was a huge advocate for journaling. The Meditations was not intended to be read by anyone but written as a private journal. Originally named To Himself, penned whilst situated on the Germanic frontlines, and only gaining popularity many centuries later posthumously.

Marcus Aurelius exercised a few different methods of journaling. He reflected on his actions, whether he was living in accordance with his principles; and where he expressed gratitude for people and the lessons he had learned. He also rewrote Stoic teachings in his own words to help him gain a deeper understanding.

These methods are powerful tools to help you figure out if you are living life according to your principles and ethics. They can also be used as a way to understand how you’ve perhaps gone wrong and how you can improve when faced with similar situations or dilemmas in the future.

Seneca the Younger

The Roman statesman and playwright Seneca the Younger is a tad different from Marcus because he wanted his writings to be discovered. There’s evidence of Seneca writing, knowing that others would read his letters and inner thoughts one day. However, this doesn’t mean that we can’t take great value from what he wrote about in terms of benefitting from Journaling.

Seneca used his journaling primarily as a means of reflection upon his day; for self-examination, by using it as a way to “plead at his court”. His reasoning behind this was to analyse his actions and to lead by example. Primarily this is an invaluable tool for growth, overcoming adversities, and making sure you don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Epictetus

Despite being the most famous Stoic teacher, Epictetus did not write anything down, as far as we know. His words and teachings were transcribed by Arrian of Nicomedia, who attended the lectures of Epictetus in Greece. Arrian was a well respected, highly educated Roman statesman, and four of the eight discourses he transcribed of Epictetus have survived (thankfully for us).

The Discourses include a daily routine devised by Epictetus for his students that favours journaling. These techniques are based loosely on The Golden Verses of Pythagoras, in which we go into more detail below.

Journal to Practice Appreciation

The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not. — Seneca

The entire first chapter of Marcus’ Meditations focuses on expressing his thanks to people in his life. Journaling is known to aid in boosting your cognitive functions, and according to research from Experimental Psychology, writing reflectively can reduce intrusive thought patterns about negative events and improve memory.

This is our preferred writing technique. If we’re struggling to find something to write about, where better to start than writing what you’re thankful for in your daily life? Grab a piece of paper or your digital device and make a list of things you are thankful for in this very moment, regardless of how trivial it may seem. It’s so easy to complain about every irritation in today’s world, from news outlets to social media, making this at times our primary reaction.

We can guarantee you from personal experience and over half a decade of using this practice has made significant changes to our behaviours and actively encouraged us not to engage in unnecessary tripe online and beyond. After all, Epictetus talks about focusing on what you control and what you can’t as part of Stoic practice. Over time if gratitude is practised and written about regularly you’ll see how much in your life is valuable, plus if you’re fortunate enough to be reading this article you’re already better off than a lot of people.

If you’re honest when writing it will give you a clear view of what you value most. So if you’re wondering what to write about, here’s a prompt taken from Enda’s journal of things he was grateful for just last week:

1. Talking with Family regularly
2. Fresh coffee
3. Clean outdoor air and wild open lands
4. Solid internet connection
5. Ordering new books

Morning and Evening Reflections

In the morning you prepare for the day ahead; throughout the day you try to live consistently in accord with your values; and in the evening you review your progress and prepare to repeat the cycle again the next day… Having a daily routine like this makes it much easier to be consistent in your practice. — Donald J. Robertson

One of the questions I’m asked often: “what time is the best for writing”? It’s a brilliant question, and ideally, it’s both in the morning and evening! However, we feel the answer lies in your ability to maintain the habit of writing regularly and secondly, what your chronotype is. We find that the morning hours stimulate us most as that’s when the majority of our work and weekly exercise occurs.

You may always have been inclined to be productive in the morning, whilst others might find their cognitive recesses spark later in the evening. When writing music, I (Enda) find it more successful in the evening with collaborators, whilst writing and administration tasks need to be done as soon as possible in the morning for maximum output. Figuring out this train of thought could fill another article itself, so we’ll skip to the type of reflection and journaling that’s typically known to suit the time of day.

Morning

When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. — Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius spoke about the importance of journaling in the morning. As seen in the quote above, he used his mornings to anticipate and combat getting frustrated by the curveballs life throws at you. We’ve found this useful to prevent getting irate over minor instances that are beyond your control. However, it should be used with caution to avoid a negative outlook on your day ahead.

Epictetus encouraged his students to journal in the morning as means of preparation for the day ahead. His students were to ask themselves what they needed to do to improve their life; conquer their fears, and free themselves of distress. They were also encouraged to write down the steps to take to achieve this and live by the Stoic Virtues. (Read more about them below)

Evening:

How sweet is the sleep which follows this self-examination? — Seneca

The Stoics already came up with an ingenious system for reflection on the progress of their toils that day. There’s a famed three-pronged technique we take from the ancients that is our favourite way to Journal at night, and we find it effective for putting the day to rest and planning for the following one, fate permitting.

Each evening you sit down in a quiet area and review your progress by asking yourself three simple questions, which is paraphrased as follows:

1. What have I done well today? (think of personal development, achieving key goals and how you treated others)
2. Where did I go wrong? (think about what you let slip by, false promises you made or anyone you’ve ignored)
3. What could I do better tomorrow? (think about others, your personal goals for the day and writing any wrongs from yesterday)

Speaking from personal experience, completing this exercise nightly has allowed us to track our progress, hold ourselves accountable for our actions, and hopefully make us slightly better human beings towards our fellow man.

To write or not to write?

Whilst we’ve benefitted from journaling, and this article was written in the advocation of such practice (especially when engaging with Stoic Philosophy is concerned). Understandably, some of you reading this article aren’t convinced or have tried and tested these methods and beyond to no avail.

If this is the case, one thing we could suggest is to practice these in a meditative format whereby you find a quiet space (the bathroom is a good one!) and then use the above techniques or similar and repeat internally what you’re grateful for. You can also think about what you could do better tomorrow if fortune allows it or even take the time to visualise or read your favourite quotations or principles from your favourite writers or those who influence your way of living.

In the end, it’s all about giving yourself some reflection time or confirming your sense of purpose to go forth to the next series of events waiting to unfold in your precious lifetime. Good fortune comrades!