In this world nothing can be said to be
certain, except death and taxes, as Benjamin Franklin famously wrote.
Personally, my anxiety peaks when I’m in a
situation in which I might exert some control over the outcome. When it comes
to death, this is impossible. The end is inevitable. There’s an infinite
variety of ways in which one might depart, but ultimately, it’s beyond
preparation. This is why death doesn’t scare me quite as much as it used to.
Wikipedia defines “Death” as the termination
of all biological functions that sustain an organism. Phenomena which commonly
bring about death include biological aging (senescence), predation,
malnutrition, disease, suicide, homicide, starvation, dehydration, and
accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury.
Fear of death also known as thanatophobia (complex
phobia that involves an extreme fear of death) is common among humans. People
having this phobia are specifically afraid of the process of death, of dying or
being dead.
Human beings are totally powerless to prevent
or overcome death. Our mightiest efforts to defend ourselves from the grave
ultimately end in failure. Everyone dies.
The following
strategies will help you overcome the fear of death and help you enjoy life
more:
Focus on
Living Well
There are so many simple things that you can do to live a healthier and more positive life. In fact, sometimes the smallest steps, applied consistently, lead to the biggest changes. Make a commitment to walk every day, rain or shine. Explore your passions. Write a “bucket list” with all of the amazing things that you want to do before you die. If you are busy living, you won’t have time to worry about dying.
There are so many simple things that you can do to live a healthier and more positive life. In fact, sometimes the smallest steps, applied consistently, lead to the biggest changes. Make a commitment to walk every day, rain or shine. Explore your passions. Write a “bucket list” with all of the amazing things that you want to do before you die. If you are busy living, you won’t have time to worry about dying.
Take control
of your life
Taking back control of your life starts with
rediscovering what makes you tick, learning to take care of yourself, or making
time for the people and things that you love.
The fear of death is often the fear of not
living on your own terms. You deserve to see your dreams come true. The more
you embrace life, the less frightened you will feel about giving it up when the
time comes!
Calm right
down
Get into the habit of relaxing deeply whilst
briefly considering the fact we all go some day. It won’t be ideal to advice
you not to think about death because I have noticed how the more we try not to
think about something, the more you do. Because it's not so much what we think
about, but how we feel when we think about it. Feeling differently when
thinking of something will help you to feel differently about it in future.
This happens when anyone with any type of phobia takes time to actually think
about what they're phobic of whilst feeling relaxed. Doing this 'takes the
charge out of the fear', even stopping it altogether.
Learn to accept
that death is natural
I’m encouraging you to cherish life while
accepting that death is a natural part of a full, healthy life! I think we’re
scared to die because it’s such a mystery – it’s a land people travel to and
never (or rarely) return from. It helps to recognize ourselves as part of a
great cycle and find comfort in the fact that everyone else must go through the
same thresholds: conception, birth and death.
Letting Go of
What You Can’t Control
Death can be an especially frightening thing
to think about, primarily because it exposes the limits of life and what we are
able to conceive. Learn to focus on what you can actually control while still
engaging with what you cannot.
Eliminate
unproductive thought patterns.
When you try to predict or imagine the
future, you find yourself asking, “What if this happens?” This is an
unproductive thought pattern known as catastrophizing. An unproductive thought
pattern is a way of thinking about a situation that ultimately causes you to
have negative emotions. How we interpret an event will result in the emotion we
feel from it. For example, if you are worried that you’re late for work, you
might tell yourself, “If I’m late, I will get reprimanded by my boss and I’ll
lose my job.” Having unproductive thought patterns can put you on edge if you feel
like you want to control the outcome so strongly.
Live life to
the fullest
Ultimately, it’s best to avoid spending too
much time worrying about death and dying. Instead, fill each day with as much
joy as possible. Don't let little things get you down. Go outside, play with
friends, or take up a new sport. Just do anything that will take your mind off
dying. Instead, focus your mind on living.
Remember that
you may be lonely, but you’re never alone. The quicker you realize this, the
less likely it will be for you to succumb to depression and other negative
thoughts.
