Why it isn’t morbid to think about death | CNN

The CNN Original Series “Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever” follows Kara Swisher as she explores the people and ideas reshaping the pursuit of longevity. Stream full episodes on the CNN app. Journalist Kara Swisher reads quotes about death every day. She isn’t being morbid or wallowing in sadness; she’s inspired by a practice in Bhutan aimed at cultivating happiness and reducing anxiety about mortality — by thinking about death five times a day. In the search for a long, happy and healthy life, thinking about death may seem like it would divert you from the trail, but research suggests doing so could play an important part in helping you along the journey. Anxiety can be debilitating. Controlling it starts with this simple step, Martha Beck says Thinking about mortality helped people better tune in to positive emotions, a 2007 study found. Another study in 2017 found a link between talking about death and relief from anxiety about it. The problem is that many people, especially in the United States, avoid acknowledging, thinking or talking about death and dying, which can make them more fearful and less prepared to handle the inevitable end of life, said Dr. Brian Carpen