What if I told you that one of history’s most controversial philosophers had a surprisingly practical answer to anxiety?

Arthur Schopenhauer believed that we can thrive in life despite setbacks and obstacles.

He faced massive rejection, family conflict, professional failure, and years of being ignored.

But instead of trying to eliminate every problem, he embraced a lifestyle that made him self-reliant and free of anxiety.

How did he do that? 

By adopting the following five habits.

Habit number five

Develop a strong sense of direction.

This means concentrating on our field of interest, even if our family disagrees.

Schopenhauer’s family, in particular his mother, had expectations for his future.

She wanted him to become a medical doctor.

But he wanted to study philosophy.

So he eventually chose the path that mattered to him, even if it entailed financial risks.

And here’s the lesson:

Anxiety tends to dissipate when our life is on the right path, when we feel that our future belongs to us.

At some point, we stop worrying. 

We stop asking ourselves:

“What will they think?”

“What if they disapprove?”

“What if I fail?”

And we start building our inner peace by following our own path.

Very often, the healthiest decision is simply choosing our own path.

Habit number four

Embrace a modest, self-reliant lifestyle.

This means living modestly, and spending less money than we could afford, because we want to have a margin of safety.

Schopenhauer valued independence.

Early in life, he realised that he did not need an extravagant lifestyle to feel successful.

He wanted control over something far more valuable:

his time.

And there’s a powerful idea here.

The more material things we believe we need to be happy…

the more things we have to worry about.

Schopenhauer embraced a simple lifestyle and refused to worry about more money, a higher social status, more possessions, or a wide social approval.

When we live with less and rely on ourselves more…

Anxiety tends to go down because we have fewer things to worry about.

Habit number three

Say what you actually think.

Schopenhauer wasn’t known for being easygoing.

He had strong opinions, and he expressed them at every opportunity.

Now, this doesn’t mean becoming aggressive or obnoxious.

It just means stopping the habit of constantly editing ourselves to make everyone else comfortable.

Because every time we suppress what we genuinely think…

We are telling ourselves that our own voice doesn’t matter.

And eventually, we become anxious about being judged for simply being ourselves.

Schopenhauer taught us that, to live happily, we don’t need everyone to agree with us.

Anxiety goes down when we embrace truthfulness in human relations.

Habit number two

Regular artistic contemplation.

I mean, regularly escaping into art, whether it is music, painting, literature or some other type of art.

Schopenhauer taught us that art can temporarily free us from anxiety.

Think about it.

When we are worried about work.

When our phone keeps buzzing.

When we are thinking about tomorrow all the time.

Then suddenly, a piece of music or a novel completely absorbs us.

For a few minutes or a few hours.

In those moments, we are not chasing any goals.

We are not trying to prove anything to anybody.

We are just experiencing art.

That could be music.

Painting.

Literature.

Architecture.

Anything that pulls our attention completely into the present moment.

Artistic contemplation is relaxing and chases anxiety away.

And finally, the most important habit.

Habit number one

Never stop pursuing our lifetime goals

I mean, pursuing our goals relentlessly, even when progress is painfully slow.

Schopenhauer spent years being ignored.

His ideas didn’t become popular overnight.

But he kept writing.

And giving lectures.

Year after year, for decades.

And eventually, recognition came.

That’s the part people often struggle with.

We all want certainty right now. We ask ourselves:

“When will this work?”

“When will I succeed?”

“When will everything finally be okay?”

But meaningful lifetime goals rarely give us those answers immediately.

So let’s stop demanding proof that we are going to succeed.

And instead, let’s keep moving forward each day, step by step.

Peace of mind doesn’t come from knowing exactly where we are going to be tomorrow.

It comes from knowing that, today, we are walking in the right direction.

If you are interested in applying rational ideas in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”