Planning for your own death can be a morbid and overwhelming task, that being said, having a plan ensures you will be able to have things carried out in the way you would like. It also helps you to keep on top of things so your family and loved ones don’t get any unexpected bills when you pass.
I will be sharing my top 5 tips on how to plan for your passing to make the process less stressful for you. These tips will ensure that when that day comes, everything will be taken care of already. As well as this, they will also give you peace of mind knowing that things will be taken care of the way you would like.
Accept mortality
One of the scariest things about planning for your own death is accepting the reality that one day you won’t be here anymore. Coming to terms with this is a difficult thing to do, but once you have learnt to live with it you can begin the process of planning everything else without getting too overwhelmed.
There are many support groups you can join to talk to people who have a similar fear to yourself so you don’t feel alone.
Moreover, rather than focusing on your death, try to spin it around and make a list of things you would like to do before that day comes.
Go through your list and try to accomplish something each week, this will start to minimise your fear of mortality as you do the things you really want to before you pass.
Create a last will and testament
Creating a last will and testament will give you peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be carried out accordingly. It also allows you to have power over who will inherit your assets so you can have them going to the people you choose.
As well as creating a will, you should also create an advance directive. An advance directive is a legal document in which you can lay out which types of medical treatment you refuse to have in the future if you become incapacitated. You can adjust this at any time so I’d suggest reviewing it every couple of months to ensure you want to stick to the same plan.
Many people don’t create an advance directive, but doing so will ensure you still get a say in the types of treatment you would like to recieve. It also allows you to have a say in matters even if you are physically not able to do so.
Plan your funeral in advance
Planning your funeral in advance gives you full control over what events take place on that day. This will give you peace of mind knowing you have planned a send-off that you would like.
Many individuals opt for prepaid funeral plans in the UK as they allow you to stagger the payments over time to suit you and your family’s income. They are also extremely flexible so you can choose the exact funeral plan you would like.
If you are struggling to find the right funeral plan provider, you can get advice from The Funeral Planning Authority. They regulate prepaid funeral plan providers so you can find the right provider and plan for you.
Organise your bills and debts
Organising your legal documents is an important task to do as although you won’t have to deal with this when you have passed, someone else will. Your family can even end up not receiving the amount you left them if you still have debts that need to be paid off.
When you pass, the debts you’ve left behind are taken out of your estate before anything is inherited by the individuals stated in your will. Therefore, if you have ongoing debts to pay then your family could end up with nothing.
If you own a house with another person, you will need to see where they fit in the equation as your debt could be passed onto them which could result in a forced sale of the house.
If you do have any debts, organise them and ensure that there is a payment plan in motion to avoid this happening. As well as this, make sure you have all of your bills and any other expenses filed safely and neatly. Doing this will ensure the documents are easily accessible so ongoing payments can be cancelled efficiently where appropriate.
Ensure you have the right life insurance plan in place
When it comes to life insurance, it’s important to choose the correct plan for you and your family. Depending on your medical history, you may want to have a life insurance plan set in place early in case of an unexpected death.
It is particularly beneficial to have life insurance if you have people around you that depend on you financially as this will give them financial support when you pass. This will also give you peace of mind knowing your loved ones are taken care of.
In summary
Although planning for the end of your life is a daunting task, these tips will help to alleviate some of the stress and help you to both mentally and practically prepare for when that day comes.
When creating plans, ensure that you are comfortable with the topic in question, don’t try to push yourself to make decisions you are not ready to make. There is a lot of support out there so make sure you use it to prepare yourself mentally, once you have done this the other tasks won’t seem as daunting.