Grief is a fully human experience – it affects our mind, heart, soul and body.
Many grieving hearts are often surprised to realize that their body’s sensations are actually the result of the heart’s grieving process. This occurs naturally, as grief is ‘trauma’ and trauma can lead to ‘stress,’ and stress connects our emotional and physical experiences. In other words, what we think creates feelings, and feelings lead to physical responses.
These are some of the physical symptoms of grief:
- A hollow feeling in your stomach
- Oversensitivity to noise
- Tiredness, fatigue, exhaustion and feeling physically weak
- Dry mouth
- Sleep Issues – sleeping too much/ too little, interrupted sleep, waking up tired
- Restlessness
- Appetite Issues – eating too much or too little and weight gain/ loss
- Aches, pains, muscle tension, and headaches
- Thinking Issues known as ‘brain fog ‘– trouble thinking clearly, issues remembering, lack of concentration and staying focused, irritability, forgetfulness
- Difficulty with daily activities can cause feelings of being overwhelmed or disinterested, leading to an attitude of ‘I don’t care, I’m in grief.’
- Anxiety, panic attacks, or PTSD may manifest as difficulty breathing or sensations of tightness or heaviness in the chest or throat.
- The stress of grief can weaken the immune system, increasing susceptibility to colds and other illnesses.
If any of the above is happening in your body, please don’t panic… what your body is feeling is expected, normal, and universal among most grievers. Horrible, frustrating, and sometimes overwhelmingly scary, YES, but normal. You are going through a lot, and grief can feel huge, heavy, messy and tiring, so be kind and patient with yourself.
