Calmness

"To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden." ~Seneca

There is nothing more destructive than a violent emotion out of control.

Emotions like anger, once they get a grip on you, cause reason to go out the window.

Your anger is more likely to do you more harm than the wrongdoing of the event itself.

Reacting angrily to things becomes a habit; the more you are angry, the quicker you will be to anger in the future.

Break the cycle

So, how do you break this cycle? Seneca’s response was simple: you need to have more tolerance for others. Acknowledge that neither they nor you are perfect.

Many of your troubles come from your own reactions to events rather than the events themselves. To stay calm, Seneca advised focusing on what you can control and accepting what you can't. The thing you can’t control is how other people decide to act.

Take a step back and think logically about how you should perceive the event. As Seneca says, "The greatest remedy for anger is delay." You will come to the conclusion that no harm can come of it unless you let it.

Choose not to be harmed, and you won’t be. As Marcus Aurelius advises, “To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it.”

When all hell breaks loose

Prepare for future difficulties, so you won’t be caught off guard.

Build your tolerance for stressful situations by facing small challenges and discomfort voluntarily.

As Seneca says, "Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body."

This makes it easier to maintain composure when 'stuff' hits the fan.