What do you think?
Rate this book
Everyday Stoicism: Ancient Solutions to Modern Day Problems from Marcus Aurelius and the Stoics
Grow in wisdom with this practical guide to Stoic philosophy for modern day-to-day life
Discover the path to a more contented, fulfilled life through the teachings of Stoic philosophers, from Marcus Aurilius to Epictetus. Learn how to build resilience, foster inner peace, and harness self-control.
Stoic philosophy is not an armchair it was designed by the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers to be used in day-to-day life, and their teachings offer a host of simple, practical ideas to maximise positivity in our lives.
Tackling a key theme each month, from Happiness and Health to Money and Politics, Everyday Stoicism guides you through the calendar year to build a toolkit of simple exercises and practical ideas for how to live these values every day.
So, harness the collective wisdom of the ancient Stoic philosophers today and discover the joy of everyday stoicism.
Discover the path to a more contented, fulfilled life through the teachings of Stoic philosophers, from Marcus Aurilius to Epictetus. Learn how to build resilience, foster inner peace, and harness self-control.
Stoic philosophy is not an armchair it was designed by the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers to be used in day-to-day life, and their teachings offer a host of simple, practical ideas to maximise positivity in our lives.
Tackling a key theme each month, from Happiness and Health to Money and Politics, Everyday Stoicism guides you through the calendar year to build a toolkit of simple exercises and practical ideas for how to live these values every day.
So, harness the collective wisdom of the ancient Stoic philosophers today and discover the joy of everyday stoicism.
- GenresPhilosophy
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2024
6 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Gareth Southwell
15 books44 followersGareth Southwell is a writer, illustrator and philosopher who lives in South Wales in the UK. He has a PhD in death, which has been read by exactly four people (including himself). His first novel MUNKi is just a thinly fictionalised version of this, with most of the boring bits taken out and replaced with robots and people swearing in Welsh.
Sign up
to his monthly email list for news, views, and free stories from the MUNKi universe. For more information on his sci-fi and philosophy writing, or his book cover and design work, please visit
garethsouthwell.com
.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Read
March 23, 2025I just finished reading Everyday Stoicism, and I have to say, it's a fantastic intro to Stoic philosophy. If you're new to Stoicism and aren’t sure where to start, this book is perfect. It takes some of the key ideas from Stoic philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca, and breaks them down in a way that's super easy to understand.
One of the things I really liked was how the book isn’t just theoretical – it’s practical too. The author gives you 12 chapters, each designed to guide you through a month of putting Stoic principles into action. Each chapter gives you concrete steps to apply the philosophy to real life. Whether it’s dealing with stress, building resilience, or just focusing on personal growth, there’s something actionable in every chapter that you can start using right away.
The tone is really conversational and down-to-earth, which made it easy to stay engaged. You never feel like you’re being lectured to; instead, it feels like you’re just having a chat with someone who’s sharing their wisdom. Plus, I love how it makes you reflect on your own life and how you can apply these timeless ideas in your day-to-day routine.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Everyday Stoicism is a great read if you're looking to live a more intentional and mindful life. Highly recommend it!
One of the things I really liked was how the book isn’t just theoretical – it’s practical too. The author gives you 12 chapters, each designed to guide you through a month of putting Stoic principles into action. Each chapter gives you concrete steps to apply the philosophy to real life. Whether it’s dealing with stress, building resilience, or just focusing on personal growth, there’s something actionable in every chapter that you can start using right away.
The tone is really conversational and down-to-earth, which made it easy to stay engaged. You never feel like you’re being lectured to; instead, it feels like you’re just having a chat with someone who’s sharing their wisdom. Plus, I love how it makes you reflect on your own life and how you can apply these timeless ideas in your day-to-day routine.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Everyday Stoicism is a great read if you're looking to live a more intentional and mindful life. Highly recommend it!
June 8, 2025
This book was easy to get through and great for those who want to get in touching stoicism principles.
Greatly recommended if you want something lighter.
Favourite quotes:
“Difficulties and setbacks are an inherent part of life,and in learning how to cope with them we develop our character and grow as people.”
“…if we make the source of our happiness external to ourselves,residing in things we have no control over,then we surrender our mental serenity to the whims of Fate.”
“Your only duty as a human being is to be true to the rational part of you that weighs up your life goals and identifies those that best serve your personal growth.”
“…for Stoicism,happiness is not primarily about feelings or performing certain strict moral duties,but in developing a good,virtuous character- from which the rest will follow.”
“…there are many benefits that the online world has brought us. The issue is,rather,how we can remain true to ourselves in a medium that favours shallow and fragmented interaction over genuine connection,that would rather generate the heated froth of controversy than meaningful debate.”
“…as a form of virtue ethics,Stoicism focuses on teaching the individual how to be virtuous,then leaves it up to that individual to apply that virtue to whatever context they find themselves in.”
“…the ideal Stoic society is not based on a set of rules; it evolves through rational understanding,debate and cooperation,through trust in individuals.”
“The fact that we could die t any time should give us focus,courage and clarity to do the things we want to achieve in the little time we have.
…so that we can motivate ourselves to be more serious and determined,to value those things we have and those people we love while we still have them….
We should learn from death to accustom ourselves to that day when the things we value most are no longer there,and by doing so soften the blow.”
Greatly recommended if you want something lighter.
Favourite quotes:
“Difficulties and setbacks are an inherent part of life,and in learning how to cope with them we develop our character and grow as people.”
“…if we make the source of our happiness external to ourselves,residing in things we have no control over,then we surrender our mental serenity to the whims of Fate.”
“Your only duty as a human being is to be true to the rational part of you that weighs up your life goals and identifies those that best serve your personal growth.”
“…for Stoicism,happiness is not primarily about feelings or performing certain strict moral duties,but in developing a good,virtuous character- from which the rest will follow.”
“…there are many benefits that the online world has brought us. The issue is,rather,how we can remain true to ourselves in a medium that favours shallow and fragmented interaction over genuine connection,that would rather generate the heated froth of controversy than meaningful debate.”
“…as a form of virtue ethics,Stoicism focuses on teaching the individual how to be virtuous,then leaves it up to that individual to apply that virtue to whatever context they find themselves in.”
“…the ideal Stoic society is not based on a set of rules; it evolves through rational understanding,debate and cooperation,through trust in individuals.”
“The fact that we could die t any time should give us focus,courage and clarity to do the things we want to achieve in the little time we have.
…so that we can motivate ourselves to be more serious and determined,to value those things we have and those people we love while we still have them….
We should learn from death to accustom ourselves to that day when the things we value most are no longer there,and by doing so soften the blow.”
January 2, 2025
I don't write reviews and hardly log-in to goodreads, but felt compelled to leave one for Everyday Stoicism. I picked it up at my local bookstore for two reasons: I was drawn to the look and feel of the hardback so felt it was something I needed to own (even if I never read it), and the 40+ recommendations I seem to get a day for stoic content on social media. Compared to many of the other books nearby, this seemed less like a hardcore philosophy textbook. I was skeptical of whether or not I would enjoy it but found the wry humor and light approach to be a great entry to a topic that I had been actively avoiding.
It's way too early to say something like, "This book changed my life," but it made me think about myself introspectively in a way I haven't done in years and probably the closest thing that I will ever feel to any kind of spiritual awakening. I immediately began rereading parts of the book and doing some of the journaling prompts Southwell includes at the end of each chapter, then even ran out and bought a pocket copy of Meditations, which I have started and enjoyed.
I'm far from "being a Stoic," but found a lot of value in the book to help me address my anxieties and existential dread I have whenever I'm without my phone for more than 5 minutes.
It's way too early to say something like, "This book changed my life," but it made me think about myself introspectively in a way I haven't done in years and probably the closest thing that I will ever feel to any kind of spiritual awakening. I immediately began rereading parts of the book and doing some of the journaling prompts Southwell includes at the end of each chapter, then even ran out and bought a pocket copy of Meditations, which I have started and enjoyed.
I'm far from "being a Stoic," but found a lot of value in the book to help me address my anxieties and existential dread I have whenever I'm without my phone for more than 5 minutes.
October 29, 2024
This is a very comprehensive and thorough book. Initially the author provides the framework of thought in which different philosophers over the centuries (Plato, Zeno, Aristotle etc) outlined their views on Stoicism and how they perceived it. In later chapters the Stoics' view of life is highlighted in terms of money, love and work etc. The book keeps the reader engaged with Qs (What does love mean to you? etc) and an informative yet conversational tone. Personally, I found the section on 'Happiness' very compelling as it outlined the many ways happiness can be defined and achieved as well as the Stoics' idea that 'virtue of character' were ideally instrumental. This section gave me the opportunity to revaluate the thinking and behaviour on which I based my own happiness, and I am certainly open to any suggestions. The book also outlined individual philosopher quotes then analyzed each one so that the general idea of the philosopher was readily understood - The Author provides a wealth of information and conveys a deep and natural understanding of the subject. RD (Australia).
October 15, 2024
This is a solid book on Stoicism for beginners. The book is broken into 12 themes—one theme for each month of the year—allowing the reader to engage with Stoic principles at a manageable pace. The themes or "lessons" are both solid and practical, offering guidance on how to apply Stoicism to everyday challenges. Each chapter provides actionable steps, making it easier to integrate the themes into modern life. Overall, it's a good introduction to Stoic philosophy, blending theory and practice in a way that's approachable for anyone looking to cultivate resilience and mindfulness.
February 2, 2025
I'm a little halfway on this one. Why I enjoyed it: The nature of such books always encourages introspection and self inquiry and this book definitely did that for me. I thought about my presented self, I thought about my relationship with money (this is the biggest takeaway). I also enjoyed his dry wit and occasional humour. Why I didn't enjoy it: some parts felt a bit dry. I didn't necessarily feel like I wanted to pick up the book and devour it.
Overall, not extraordinary but sufficient to provoke thoughts
Overall, not extraordinary but sufficient to provoke thoughts
January 26, 2025
Very informative and very easy to read. A great introduction to the philosophy.
August 26, 2025
A simple introduction to Stoicism, with modern examples and analogies. However, the page-long quotes from Stoics interspersed throughout each chapter make it slightly tedious to read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews