Embrace all experiences, including tough emotions like sadness, anxiety, and fear, rather than pushing them away, as they are part of what it means to be human and to love life fully.
Face up to the shortness of life to ensure you live your short life well, as avoiding mortality can be detrimental to happiness and living fully.
Don’t wait for miraculous changes; actively do something to move from an uninspiring situation to one that inspires you, rather than expecting things to happen.
Intentionally think about your mortality, a practice known as memento mori, to serve as a subtle reminder of your temporary existence and motivate living well.
Calculate your remaining Mondays by subtracting your current age from the average life expectancy and multiplying by 52, to create a finite sense of time and prompt reflection.
Use the unsettling feeling from mortality awareness as a catalyst to take desired actions, ensuring you make the best use of your limited time.
Overcome doubts and take action on important plans (like a business plan or screenplay) by recognizing that life is short and there’s nothing to lose by trying.
Actively schedule activities and time with people and places that light you up, especially after realizing the finite nature of your remaining time.
Be discerning about who you spend your time with, prioritizing those who enliven you and opting to spend less or no time with those who de-energize you.
Help others more often, as this practice, often prompted by brushes with mortality, is a proven way to improve your overall well-being.
When faced with uncertainty, especially about death, choose to imagine scenarios that bring comfort and make you feel good, rather than flooding it with dread and fear.
Recognize your inherent mastery at navigating life’s unknowns and apply this same adaptive perspective to the process of dying, trusting your psychological immune system.
Reframe tough days and difficult feelings as simply part of the human experience, which can provide support and grace during challenging times.
Take a walk and intentionally notice all the signs of dying and impermanence in your environment, like wilting flowers or rotting fruit, to foster a sense of awe and connectedness.
Spend time looking at your aging body in the mirror, observing changes without judgment, but rather with awe and curiosity, to acknowledge the temporary nature of your physical form.
Look yourself in the eyes in a mirror and repeat “I am going to die” two or three times, taking deep breaths between repetitions, as a brave dose of death awareness.
Acquire and use a physical item, such as a coin, ring, or ceramic skull, as a constant, subtle reminder of your mortality.
Avoid reaching the end of life with unexecuted dreams, hopes, and plans by actively pursuing them now.
Attend a death cafe, a community gathering where strangers discuss their mortality candidly over tea and cake, to openly talk about death and gain new perspectives.
Listen to “Solved with Mark Manson” wherever you get podcasts or visit solvedpodcast.com to understand the science behind human behavior and get practical insights on big questions like happiness and procrastination.