How does focusing on internal judgments directly combat anxiety, according to Stoicism?

Focusing on internal judgments combats anxiety, according to Stoicism, because anxiety primarily arises from fearing external events and outcomes that are largely outside of our direct control. Stoic philosophy teaches that we suffer not from the events themselves, but from our judgments about them. By shifting attention inward and examining the judgments we make about external events, we can challenge and modify the beliefs that fuel our anxiety. This involves recognizing that our evaluations, interpretations, and expectations shape our emotional responses. When we judge an external event as inherently bad or threatening, we create anxiety. By learning to control and correct these judgments, we diminish the power of external events to disturb our inner peace. For instance, if someone is anxious about a job interview, a Stoic approach would involve examining the underlying judgments: 'I must get this job' or 'If I fail, it will be a disaster.' By challenging these judgments and replacing them with more rational ones, such as 'I will prepare to the best of my ability and accept the outcome' or 'Failure is a learning opportunity,' one can significantly reduce anxiety. The key is to recognize that the source of anxiety lies not in the external world but in our internal evaluations and beliefs about it.