There’s a simple yet powerful journaling activity that you can do right now to build resilience, remove irrational fear, and mentally prepare for the worst.
It’s called premeditatio malorum, which translates to the pre-meditation of the evils. This negative visualization exercise originated with the Stoics, and many of the brightest thinkers in the philosophy, including Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Zeno of Citium, were practitioners.
It’s a simple process. Consider the hardest and most undesirable outcome and ask yourself: will I be harmed?
The worst outcome in any situation is not the most likely. Sure, some things go wrong. Your pride might be injured, you may be embarrassed or frightened or even physically hurt, but you won’t be undone by whatever it is you fear. Often, the fear is far more damaging than any actual event that might happen.
This practice has also inspired many in the modern day, including Tim Ferriss's fear-setting framework, which he explained beautifully in his TED talk.
In typical Ferriss tradition, he's taken it to another level by creating a framework that records what you fear and encourages you to record how you could prevent the worst from happening and how to repair if the worst should occur. Finally, Ferriss encourages a cost-benefit analysis by writing down the potential benefits of even partial success and the cost of inaction.
You can read further breakdown at 24 Letters, and find the link to his TED talk there as well.
Seneca reminds us that "we suffer more in imagination than in reality," and it's helpful to remember this. Anxiety is primarily based on fear of the future. Facing that unknown and diving into it to understand better where it's coming from and why is profoundly empowering.
Premeditatio malorum is like a fire drill for your life. When you practice the hard things, you'll be better prepared when and if they happen. Use your journal; it's your safe space, after all. Be bold with your fears, and you might find more clarity than you knew you could.
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