Up@dawn 2.0 (blogger)

Delight Springs

Monday, February 6, 2023

The source of your anxiety

Another timely meditation, as we prepare to commence class presentations. It has become commonplace for students to preface their reports with an apology and an excuse: "I have anxiety, so this will probably not be good ." They sabotage themselves.

So I implore you all: don't do it. Meditate with Epictetus on the source of your anxiety. Calm yourself, take some steady breaths, realize that you are among friends, and tell us what you've learned about your topic.

Do your homework, and the night before your presentation, relax. Have some fun. Get some rest. Get to bed on time.

Remember, you know more about your topic than most of those in the room.

If it helps, do what some speakers do to calm themselves: imagine your audience naked.

Or whatever works for you.
"When I see an anxious person, I ask myself, what do they want? For if a person wasn't wanting something outside of their own control, why would they be stricken by anxiety?"—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.13.1

"…Getting worked up, getting excited, nervously pacing—these intense, pained, and anxious moments show us at our most futile and servile. Staring at the clock, at the ticker, at the next checkout lane over, at the sky—it's as if we all belong to a religious cult that believes the gods of fate will only give us what we want if we sacrifice our peace of mind. Today, when you find yourself getting anxious, ask yourself: Why are my insides twisted into knots? Am I in control here or is my anxiety? And most important: Is my anxiety doing me any good?" — The Daily Stoic

And listen to WJ:

My advice to students would be...

If you want really to do your best in an examination, fling away the book the day before, say to yourself, "I won't waste another minute on this miserable thing, and I don't care an iota whether I succeed or not." Say this sincerely, and feel it; and go out and play, or go to bed and sleep, and I am sure the results next day will encourage you to use the method permanently. The Gospel of Relaxation

Amen. 



1 comment:

  1. (section 6)

    Building off of what William James said, I have noticed that if I study too late the night before or the day of, I end up second guessing myself on the exam. I end up changing at least a few answers from the correct answer to an incorrect answer. I found that by not overly worrying about how I will do on the exam, I tend to do better as well. So, now I typically study a couple of days before an exam, and the day before, I try to put my notes down before dinner time. I try to just relax for the rest of the day, and as much as possible leading up to the exam. This has helped me on all of my checkrides and numerous tests throughout college.

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