Existential Conversations

Susanne LJ Westergren and Barbro Ohlson Smith come from completely different backgrounds but have found a common passion in opening up conversations about life's last journey. Where Susanne, with a, Barbro. Together they have created a platform where their complementary perspectives can meet and enrich each other.

Susanne: Think more about death and enjoy life

With a background as a nurse, and with experiences in hospice and emergency departments, Susanne has been close to both the beginning and the end of her life early on. In the middle of her life, she chose to train as a journalist with a focus on science and health. When she herself suffered bereavement in the family, she felt that she lacked both the knowledge and practical tools to deal with all that comes with death and grief. From that experience, the book grew The Art of Caring for an Estate ahead, and then the TV show on SVT Todo estado, in which the complex and often emotionally charged situations arising from a succession are portrayed.

For Susanne, practicality often becomes a way into the difficult, sorting, structuring and arranging. At the same time, she describes how she needs and longs to face the emotional deeper, and how order can sometimes become a refuge.

“For me, there is a spirituality that always accompanies every existence. I can see a soul in something as small as a bumblebee, and I carry care for every life, no matter how small,” after all, we are all part of a huge whole.”

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Barbro: Designing the end

Barbro Ohlson Smith has a long background as a designer with a focus on identity and expression. Quando ha iniziato il podcast My death, my funeral it was to explore whether the same ideas about form and form could be applied to the end of life. She saw how many funerals followed a template and wondered if it was possible to create more personal farewells.

For more than fifty podcasts, Barbro.

“It has changed the way I look at the meaning of life and made me even more value living in the present, being present and taking advantage of relationships,” says Barbro about working on the podcast. Huh, and

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The meeting point: the YouTube channel

When Susanne and Barbro found each other, a common idea emerged: to create a new forum where their different perspectives could meet. The result was a series on YouTube; How does it work - death, life and grief, which has recently been launched. vi. Also, how we can plan for the inevitable death of our own and those of our relatives is a topic that will be included in their productions.

Fact that they choose to broaden their collaboration with YouTube is because they want to reach out to younger generations. Moving media offers new possibilities for purely practical demonstration of how things work and not just tell about it. He, Jocke Wiik, sound engineer and film,.

Together they want to make it easier for us as a society to talk about death; not to set rules, but to dare to reflect, share experiences and perhaps find new ways to value life.

Ahead: more forums for talks

Both Susanne and Barbro see a continued need to create space for existential conversations. Through podcasts, books and now also the video format, they find different ways to reach out to more people. Needed for forums that open up conversations about death remains and Susanne and Barbro are far from finished.

Listen to Barbro's podcast My death, my funeral Aqui
Win YouTube Channel How does it work - death, life and grief Aqui 

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For Katarina Blix Lundqvist, the most beautiful thing about her work is to meet people in the middle of life, and in the midst of grief. As an officiant and singer, she leads funerals with both warmth and presence, describing it as one of the funniest and most meaningful parts of her life.

“I'm curious about people's life stories. It is stimulating to create a great moment together with our loved ones, where we honor life for real.”

When life crumbled and something new began

Catherine's interest in death and the conversation about dying has been around for a long time, but it was in 2017 that it became deeply personal. In a short time, everything changed with both separation and death, and she herself fell into a great grief.

“I then took a course in grief processing through the Swedish Institute for Grief Processing. It became an important turning point. Then I went to further education, both for my own sake and to be able to be there for others.”

Since then Katarina has devoted herself to creating space for conversations about what is often difficult to put into words. She wants to help make death less taboo and grief more visible. One of the ways she does it is through Death Talk, safe rooms where people are allowed to gather to talk about death, life, fears, meaning and loss.

Support at the very last stage of life

As part of her commitment, Katarina has also trained as a certified Death Doula and End-of-Life Planner. In this role, she supports people who are in the final stages of life and their loved ones, through conversations, preparations and presence. Sometimes it's about planning for death in advance, sometimes it's about being there when the end nears. Whatever the situation, her focus is to contribute calm, structure and human warmth. The training was conducted at Going with Grace in Los Angeles, under the direction of Alua Arthur.

Facing Grief — With Singing and Presence

For Katarina, the work as an official is not just about words. It's just as much presence, silence, music, and daring to remain in it that chafes. She often sings by herself during the ceremonies, and uses her voice as a way to create closeness and feeling.

Katarina, a. “It's about keeping a warm and safe frame where people get to feel, remember and say goodbye in their own way.”

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To have a stable economy and to maintain health. To be physically and psychologically in balance. Laugh often and have kind people around you. Dat and doesn't make one want to escape to a deserted island. Here are some ideas on what quality of life can be.

In purely academic terms, quality of life is defined as; a person's subjective experience of their own well-being in relation to their living conditions. What quality of life actually means can vary between individuals and is influenced by factors such as environment, conditions and values. Dreadful. A discussion can range from the most basic human needs, to how we reach self-realization. Nel sociétés, waar humane réservés, a que les structures sociétés comprendent, les conversacions sont muy sobre como podemos relaxar, enjoyer et fulfils dreams. However, many would generally consider that a good quality of life is characterised by a harmonious balance of physical, psychological, economic and social factors.

La qualità di vita non è una qualità statica, se conversa una donna e la società a qui vive. Today we also encounter new kinds of factors, which play into the quality of life, than we have previously encountered. Nómero, trabajo y leisurezó se más intervíncia, tecnologia a línea major y centralizada en nos vivos, y aspectos sociales hace uma diferente de diffusión. All this for better or for worse. Thus, the definition of quality of life is both fluid and changing.

It is thus a complex subject that concerns both individual and societal aspects. By understanding what influences it, we can both improve our own quality of life and contribute to a better living environment for others.

Quality of life in healthcare

The quality of life is at the heart of healthcare. It is a very important aspect in treatment and nursing. It is of course important that a patient overcomes problems and illnesses, or receives the right medical treatment, but how the individual's everyday life and well-being are affected by the care is of equal importance. La qualità di vita in healthcare je ne samo sobre curando dischi, ma anche o segurança que se puede vive como dobro e independiente vida como posible, pero problemas de salud posible. In order to protect the quality of life in healthcare, things such as those mentioned below are usually prioritised:

• Access to timely and equitable care.

• Maintain quality of pain management and symptom relief.

• Offer psychological support to deal with anxiety and depression and other things that affect mental health.

• To invite participation in their care plan, so that patients themselves can enjoy the care they receive.

• Palliative care - palliative care when the disease is incurable.

Lack of quality of life

When life is fraught with friction or when a particular aspect of life falls into imbalance, it can lead to the experience of a reduced quality of life. Por exemplo, longo stressEconomic insecurity, social isolation or chronic health problems adversely affect a person's well-being. Oftentimes people feel that this restricts one from accomplishing or achieving things that one desires. It can also mean that routines are limited, that there is an absence of routines or that there is a feeling of not being in control of one's life.

Perché, in order to improve the quality of life, it may be important to identify and work on the areas that create imbalances, for example through support from health care, social networks or changes in lifestyle and everyday habits. If you want to get in touch with a psychologist to get professional help, you can make an appointment directly at Mindler.

When Frida Hard lost her husband and was left alone with their one-year-old son, the world shook. It wasn't just a love she lost, it was a nuclear family, a vision of the future, an identity.

“It was like the ground was disappearing under me. In the midst of it, I realized how difficult it is for many to face grief. How little space it gets to take up in our society. How quiet it gets,” says Frida.

She began to notice what was missing. Not just support, but a place of grief. Utensils. Attendance.

“Many of us have never been taught how to deal with or face grief. Neither in school, in work, nor in everyday life. It's almost strange. For everyone has or/and will face grief. But we talk so little about it.”

Grief not only became a life-changing experience, it became a driving force. Frida wanted to change something. Make room for the missed conversations. For the feelings that were not expressed. For the quiet rooms where people carry on the difficult, completely alone.

She began to put into words recurring themes in the grief, themes rarely mentioned in superficial conversations: the fear, the anger, the loss of identity.

“I wasn't just sitting. I was angry. I was lost. I didn't recognize myself. A grieve came with so many fears I had to face: How would I cope financially? Was I enough as a mother? Would I ever feel happy again?”

Grief support: a place where grief is allowed to breathe

Six years ago Frida started Grief Support, a business where today she offers mourning circles, lectures, writing exercises and talks, for both individuals and companies.

“Getting to recognize yourself in other people's stories can be so healing. Sometimes we find it difficult to find our own words in grief. But when someone else says something we recognize ourselves in or that we feel completely different about, it can help us find our language, our words. And our new direction.”

Frida continues:”I want to be the voice that I myself lacked, one that says it's okay to feel exactly the way you feel and that all reactions are allowed to exist. If the grieve does not have the essence soaked or silenced, I am allowed to dry in your pocket. I want to be a safe hand to hold in grief.“

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What is death anxiety?

Death anxiety consists of a strong fear of one's own or another's death and its consequences. What constitutes the basic fear can vary from person to person. For some, it may be the grief of losing someone, for others the uncertainty of what happens after death can trigger anxiety.

If you yourself or someone in your life is seriously ill, it is a natural reaction to think about death and its consequences. Being afraid of death is therefore not a psychiatric diagnosis but a normal reaction to the realization that life is finite. But if your thoughts about death take up so much space that they limit your everyday life, such as at work or in your relationships, they pose a problem. Then it may be wise to either investigate what this fear and these thoughts are due to, or try to replace them with other, more helpful, thoughts and behaviors.

It is also not uncommon for death anxiety to occur in combination with other mental illness such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), health anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or stress-related mental illness. For this, psychological treatment may be required.

Symptoms of Death Anxiety

Since death anxiety itself does not constitute a diagnosis, there is also no list of symptoms. However, here are some examples of reactions that are common in death anxiety:

• Bodily Experiences: Anxiety manifests itself in the body in many different ways such as heart palpitations, increased heart rate, tension, pressure on the breasts, lump in the throat and feelings of panic.
• Feelings: In addition to fear and anxiety, emotions such as anger, sadness, sadness, guilt and shame are also common.
• Thoughts: The fear of death can lead to a preoccupation with thoughts and one can easily fall into a stupor. Questions that concern “why” and “how” can occupy significant time and energy.
• Behaviors: Death anxiety can lead to avoidance of things dealing with death or avoidance of existential issues at large. Other behaviors may be linked to health, such as living life in an excessively healthy way.

Why do you get death anxiety?

Death is in its essence arcane and abstract, and at the same time something that we know for sure will befall us. Therefore, it is not at all strange that we humans from time to time come into contact with strong emotions when we think about the end of life. The function of death anxiety can be multi-bottomed.

From an evolutionary perspective, this fear is essential to our survival. It allows us to avoid dangers that could otherwise lead to our death, such as being alert in traffic. Other personal factors may include having experienced a painful death or a near-death experience of your own. How one views death in one's immediate family, as well as in the cultural and religious context one lives in, also influences how one perceives death. If you see death as something dangerous, secret or distressing, it's no wonder to develop anxiety. Likewise, a perception of death as, for example, the possibility of another life, can be a protective factor for the development of death anxiety.

How do you deal with death anxiety?

Here's some advice on how to deal with your death anxiety.

1. Learn more about your anxiety. Examine your thoughts, feelings, bodily experiences, and behaviors in order to become more aware of how the fear of death affects you.
2. Share your experiences with someone with whom you are safe. Curiously researching and processing these thoughts and feelings together with someone else can also be a good idea. Often a close friend or relative can help with new perspectives and reduce the experience of being alone in one's fear. It can also be helpful to converse with a priest or deacon as death forms a central theme in their profession.
3. Examine what is important in life. Consider what is important in your life and how this can be expressed in the form of concrete actions. As with much else, anxiety has two sides. The other side of the coin is that death anxiety can motivate you to live life: Death forms the dark backdrop that gives life color. Knowing death can take us from a state of pondering why We live to ask ourselves instead how we want to live.
4. “The three pillars”: To reduce your vulnerability to anxiety, it's important to make sure you have a good sleep routine, get enough nutrition, and exercise regularly.

Treatment for death anxiety

Unpleasant thoughts about death something that most people experience from time to time. Death anxiety cannot be cured, because it is not a disease. However, if you suffer so much that it affects you in your everyday life or at the same time suffer from another mental illness, it may be appropriate to seek help.

If you want to get in touch with a psychologist who works with death anxiety, you can book a visit directly to Mindler.

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What does a life coach do & how can they help you? How is a life coach different from a psychologist, and who should you seek help from? These concepts are ironed out.

The difference between a life coach and personal-coach?

Life Coach: Focuses on helping individuals improve their overall life. They work on identifying barriers and creating strategies for personal growth.

Personal Coach: Specializes in specific areas such as career, leadership or health. They are more targeted, help to achieve tangible results in a specific area.

The difference between life coach and psychologist?

Life Coach: Focuses on the present and the future, helps to set and achieve goals. They are not trained to deal with mental illnesses.

Psychologist (especially CBT psychologist): Trained in understanding and treating mental illnesses. Uses scientific methods such as CBT to treat anxiety, depression and other mental health problems.

What does a life coach do?

A life coach works to support and guide individuals in their personal and professional development. Among other things, they help to:

• Identify the individual's goals: What and why does the individual have goals?
• Develop strategies:They create action plans to achieve these goals. This can include breaking down large goals into smaller, manageable steps.
• Overcoming obstacles:Life coaches help identify and overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of success.
• Personal growth:They focus on promoting personal development and self-understanding.
• Support, motivation & responsibility:Life coaches offer support and motivation and hold clients accountable for achieving their set goals.

It is important to point out that a life coach is not a substitute for professional psychological help in case of mental health problems, but a psychologist is required.

How does a life coach work compared to a psychologist?

Life Coach:

• Focus - Goals and desired future.
• Methodology - Techniques in the form of motivational conversations and goal-setting strategies.
• Relation - Works side by side with the client to achieve the desired changes.
• Area - Focuses on personal development and the goals that have been set.

Psychologist (especially CBT psychologist):

• Focus on mental health - Psychologists diagnose and treat mental illnesses and emotional problems.
• Methodical - Uses treatment methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to change negative thought patterns and behaviors.
• Relation - While the coach has the goal of acting as a collaborator, your psychologist focuses on treating different disorders by teaching the patient different strategies and tools to deal with their difficulties.
• Area - Focuses on dealing with mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, stress management.

summarily - while a life coach helps individuals navigate and achieve their life goals, a psychologist offers professional treatment for mental health problems.

Which one of these is best suited for me to meet?

Life Coach:

• Personal development:When you want to develop personal skills, such as leadership or time management.
• Career and goals:If you need help setting and achieving career goals or other life goals.
• Motivation and direction:When you seek motivation and guidance to make positive changes in your life.
• Balance in life:To find a better work-life balance.

Psychologist:

• Mental problems:If you are experiencing anxiety, depression or other mental health problems.
• Behavior change:When you need help managing and changing negative behaviors or thought patterns that create significant distress in your everyday life.
• Emotional difficulties:To deal with emotional difficulties or problems.

Choosing between a life coach and a psychologist depends on your specific needs. Life coaching is more focused on personal development and goal setting, while psychological help is suitable for dealing with mental and emotional problems.

How can a personal coach help you with self-esteem and confidence?

A life coach can be a valuable resource for improving your self-esteem and confidence by:

• Identify strengths:Helps you recognize and value your unique strengths and talents.
• Set realistic goals:Help set realistic goals, which can increase your sense of accomplishment and ability.
• Challenging Negative Thoughts:Help you identify and challenge negative self-perceptions.
• Highlighting successes: Encourages & focuses on celebrating your successes, big and small.
• Develop positive habits: Helps establish and maintain habits and routines that strengthen self-esteem.

By working with a life coach, you can develop a stronger self-esteem and self-confidence which is usually crucial for personal and professional success. If you want to get in touch with a psychologist, you can book directly via Mindler here.

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