Anxiety often begins before we even notice it—tight shoulders, scattered thoughts, the quiet sense that something is off. It doesn’t always come with a name, but it comes with weight.

The Stoics knew this feeling. And they didn’t shame it. They studied it.

Epictetus taught that anxiety often arises when we worry about what’s beyond our control—outcomes, impressions, timing, opinions. We fear not just what is, but what might be.

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” — Epictetus

Stoicism doesn’t pretend the world is easy. It simply asks:
Can you let go of what isn’t yours to manage?
Can you return your focus to what you can shape—your actions, your choices, your perspective?

The storm may swirl outside. But there’s stillness beneath it. And you can return there.

Not by force.
But by noticing.
And letting go.