<p dir="ltr">We're bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we're hearing from death doula Alua Arthur, as chosen by our managing producer Lauren Smith. Arthur helps people with all the non-medical aspects of dying – emotional, spiritual, and practical – and she has a simple question that she says simplifies decision-making and stress.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Full Episode: </p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.danharris.com/p/how-thinking-about-death-can-improve-769?r=4o5o&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false"> How Thinking About Death Can Improve Your Life | Alua Arthur</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Join Dan's online community <a href="http://www.danharris.com/">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Dan on social: <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J">TikTok</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Subscribe to our <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD">YouTube Channel</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit <a href="https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris">https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris</a></p> <p> </p>
Actionable Insights
1. Visualize Your Ideal Death
Imagine your own death in granular detail, filling it with sensory specifics like sights, sounds, smells, who is present, and the setting. This practice creates a peaceful ideal, which can soothe the nervous system and ground the experience in the body, making the concept of death feel less scary.
2. Make Decisions From Deathbed
When faced with a decision, consider it from the perspective of your deathbed by asking: will you be happy you did it, sad you didn’t, or will it not matter at all? This method helps clarify priorities, reveals your true desires, and informs how you want to live your life.
3. Confront Mortality in Mirror
Look deeply into your own eyes in a mirror and repeat the phrase ‘I’m going to die’ a couple of times, then be present with whatever feelings arise. This serves as a stress reliever by making immediate worries seem microscopic and offers a broader perspective on life.
4. Explore the Root of Fear
When you or someone else is experiencing intense fear, ask ‘What are you scared of?’ to help identify the underlying cause. Directly confronting and examining the fear can numb its intensity and gradually diminish its sting, acting like exposure therapy.
5. Plan End-of-Life Comfort
Make specific plans for end-of-life care, particularly concerning pain management and thirst. Discussing these details can alleviate fear about the physical process of dying, noting that dehydration at the end of life can act as an analgesic.