So, you’re thinking of planning your funeral and end of life plans. Good on you: your loved ones will be thankful. Planning for end of life isn’t the most cheery of things, but the upside to planning ahead of time is having the peace of mind that only comes with knowing that you have control of what will happen (and that it will be reflective of your beliefs and wishes) after you have left the mortal coil. Planning funeral services encompasses a huge number of decisions to be made, and doing that planning ahead of time is not only kind to your beloved family and friends but is also a logical thing to do to ensure things go as you wish them to.

There is no reason to struggle in finding the best options and the best prices to accommodate your needs at the end of life without help, according to Lantern. Let their end of life planning service help you organize the many necessary decisions that can be planned and purchased ahead of time. 

Having Hard Conversations

Keeping the lines of communication open with your cherished partner, family and friends is rule number one for orchestrating a cohesive plan for your departure. Gather together all of the people who you want to be a part of your decision-making process and start the process of having serious conversations surrounding your eventual death.

It may not be easy for some of your closest support people to talk about the fact that eventually, we all leave. Be conscientious of their feelings, but also be tenacious when approaching them to discuss much-needed decisions. After all, it is a hard but very necessary task, and you have honored them in participating in the decision-making process. 

Tips on having conversations about your funeral planning with people you love:

• Make it understood that you appreciate the support of your loved ones; you are expecting a lot from the people closest to you, and you want your wishes respected above all other things.
• Make it known that you are thinking clearly and just want to make big decisions about your end of life services while you are healthy and have the energy and time to do so. Some people might feel as if you aren’t thinking clearly by bringing up hard decisions that they might think is premature. All people have different ways of looking at the reality of death, but make it clear that your way of looking at death entails planning ahead. Make them understand that their happiness is among your biggest motivators in getting hard decisions settled before the very stressful time immediately after you have passed away.
• Remain a matter of fact when discussing end of life planning with your loved ones. Keep the tone serious and maintain eye contact while you discuss what your wishes are. Even if you normally use a lot of levity in day to day conversation, make sure the people closest to you realize your seriousness in having your intended wishes fulfilled in death.
• Allow your loved ones time and space to accept what you are asking of them. It may take a little time for them to wrap their heads around what you are asking. They surely want to help, but people may have trouble thinking of the people they love and respect most dying someday. This said, do not allow them so much time and space that the planning of your end of life gets derailed. Let them know that you will finalize your plans with or without them, but you prefer they contribute to the conversation while the planning details are still on the table for debate.

Get Help From Impartial Specialists to Diminish Stress

Once you have your loved ones on board with the early planning of your end of life services, it is a great idea to consult the expertise of a planning service to present all of the options available. Having an impartial party involved, who does not have a close emotional bond to the person who is planning their future is a good way to eliminate some of the more stressful elements of this journey.