Conversation with a death doula (10% Happier Podcast)

  • #619. How Thinking About Death Can Improve Your Life | Alua Arthur — Ten Percent Happier
    Death isn’t the most appetizing topic, but contemplating mortality can be a massive source of motivation, perspective, and even stress relief. In this episode,…
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    #619. How Thinking About Death Can Improve Your Life | Alua Arthur


    In this episode we talk about:

    • How death can be a powerful motivator
    • How consistently being aware that you’re going to die can be a “stress reliever”
    • The utility of imagining your ideal death
    • Her view on reincarnation
    • How the concept of “healing” can sometimes be used as a weapon against ourselves
    • The importance of not leaving things unsaid
    • How “hope” at the end of life can sometimes be unhelpful
    • What surprises her about death
    • How her work helped her out of her depression
    • The five steps that you should take when confronting your own death
    • The harm that can sometimes result from too much medical intervention toward the end of life
    • The often fraught relationship that vulnerable and marginalized people can have with the medical community
    • The benefits of thinking about what version of yourself you want to meet on your deathbed
    • The death meditation that she uses when working with people
    • What to say and do when you are with somebody who is grieving
    • And a practice she calls, “The dying things exercise”

    See also TED Talk:

    Alua Arthur: Why thinking about death helps you live a better life https://www.ted.com/talks/alua…ps_you_live_a_better_life