Marcus Aurelius take on stress management and burnout prevention

Let’s face it: stress is a constant companion for many of us—whether it’s the never-ending stream of emails, impossible deadlines, or just the constant pressure to perform. Burnout feels like a looming shadow that gets closer with every overloaded day. So, what if we had a guide to help us navigate these turbulent waters? Well, as it turns out, Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher, may have just the antidote we need.

Sure, Marcus didn’t have to juggle the demands of a modern-day workday (no Slack, no Zoom calls, and certainly no constant notifications). But the underlying principles of stress management and burnout prevention have remained the same over the centuries. If Marcus Aurelius were alive today, he’d probably drop some Stoic wisdom to help us all manage stress with a little more grace and a lot less of the frantic “I can’t do this” panic.

1. "You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."

First things first—Marcus would tell you that the stress you feel often comes from trying to control the uncontrollable. We can’t control the email inbox that never empties, the phone calls that won’t stop, or that colleague who always seems to need something right now. But we can control our response to it.

When you feel stress creeping in, remind yourself that you have power over your mind. You can choose how you react. Will you let a difficult situation throw you into a spiral of anxiety, or will you take a step back, take a deep breath, and approach it with calmness and clarity?

This is the cornerstone of Stoicism: focusing on what’s within your control. Instead of trying to manage the chaos around you, manage your reaction to it. In this way, stress becomes a challenge to face with composure, not a monster to avoid.

2. "How much time you’ve wasted, when you could’ve been thinking about something useful, and instead let your mind wander to the distractions and fears."

Oh, how many hours do we waste stressing about things that haven’t happened yet or might not even happen at all? We ruminate over worst-case scenarios, stress about upcoming deadlines, or replay every conversation we’ve had. Marcus would probably roll his eyes and say, “Why waste time on things beyond your control or that haven’t even happened?”

The key to stress management? Mindfulness. Focus on the present moment. You can’t change what happened yesterday, and you can’t control tomorrow’s unknowns, but you can control how you use your time and energy right now. Shift your focus back to the task at hand and resist the urge to spiral into worry. You’ll not only feel less stressed, but your productivity will also improve.

3. "Take a break when you need one, for a rest from hard work is essential to maintaining your strength."

Marcus might not have had a 9-to-5, but as an emperor, he had plenty of responsibilities and demands on his time. Even he recognized that taking a break was necessary to keep his mind sharp and his body healthy.

This is something we often overlook in the modern world—especially when we're racing to meet deadlines, trying to juggle multiple projects, or responding to 100 emails a day. But rest is essential to preventing burnout. Marcus would remind us that without time to recharge, our work becomes less effective, our decisions less clear, and our stress levels skyrocket.

So, take a walk outside. Step away from your desk for five minutes. Schedule downtime in your calendar. Don’t wait until you’re feeling completely fried—take proactive steps to care for your well-being throughout the day.

4. "The best way to avenge yourself is to not be like that."

You’ve had a rough day. Maybe your boss is pushing unreasonable deadlines. Perhaps a coworker is making things unnecessarily difficult. It’s easy to slip into frustration, resentment, or even burnout as you vent your frustrations to anyone who will listen. But Marcus would remind us: Don’t let the external world dictate how you feel.

Instead of letting others’ negativity or unreasonable demands cause you stress, rise above it. You can’t control their actions, but you can control how you respond. The more you allow yourself to be dragged into negativity, the more stress you invite into your life. The trick is to not mirror that behavior, but to choose the higher road. This mindset helps to keep stress at bay, and it also serves as a powerful model for those around you.

5. "It’s not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live."

Here’s a thought to really chew on: we spend so much time worrying about what might happen, what could go wrong, or what we haven’t done yet. But Marcus would challenge us to stop fearing the things we can’t control and instead focus on living fully and intentionally.

Stress often comes from the fear of not being enough, not doing enough, or missing out on something. The solution? Embrace the present and start focusing on what you can do right now. Don’t let fear or anxiety about the future keep you from living the life you’re meant to live. Begin taking action, even if it’s small steps forward, and the stress of inaction and uncertainty will begin to dissolve.

Wrapping It Up: What Would Marcus Aurelius Do About Stress and Burnout?

If Marcus Aurelius were alive today, he’d have some very wise, very practical advice on how to handle stress and avoid burnout. His Stoic principles offer a roadmap for dealing with modern-day pressures:

• Focus on what you can control—your mind and your actions.

• Don’t waste time on unnecessary distractions and worries.

• Schedule time to rest and recharge—don’t wait until you’re completely drained.

• Rise above negativity—don’t let others’ actions cause you stress.

• Don’t fear the future or the things you can’t control. Live fully, right now.

So the next time you feel the stress creeping in, take a breath, channel a bit of Marcus’s Stoic wisdom, and remember: You’ve got the power to manage your stress. You’ve got the power to avoid burnout. And above all, you have the power to choose your response to whatever life throws at you.

By practicing these timeless principles, we can all work toward a healthier, more balanced way of managing stress and preventing burnout—just as the Stoic emperor himself would have advised.