Physical symptoms of grief, like fatigue, appetite changes, and sleep issues, often peak in the first weeks and months, gradually improving within 6-8 weeks, but can linger for months or even years, varying greatly by individual; while most symptoms lessen within one to two years, persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms impacting daily life warrant professional help as they might signal complicated grief or other issues.
Normally, feelings of physical pain will ease with time. But try to get as much rest as possible and listen to what your body needs. If you find you're still in pain after several weeks, speak with your GP.
Grief has a direct effect on the stomach. In fact, your gut has the highest concentration of nerves outside your brain. Stress inhibits the digestive process. In extreme cases, this may result in irritable bowel syndrome or ulcers.
While it may not be a quick fix, prioritizing your health is fundamental when dealing with grief fatigue. Focus on maintaining healthy habits like sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and stress management. These small acts of self-care can provide a stable foundation as you navigate the grieving process.
Signs and symptoms of complicated grief may include:
Taking the time to be active every day can help relieve the physical pain of grief. Mind-body activities (like yoga, tai chi, or qigong) can be particularly helpful in relaxing the body and reversing the effects of stress and anxiety.
Research to date has shown that, like many other stressors, grief frequently leads to changes in the endocrine, immune, autonomic nervous, and cardiovascular systems; all of these are fundamentally influenced by brain function and neurotransmitters.
What Not to Do When You're Grieving
Acute grief fatigue can last from a few weeks up to a few months after a loss occurs. This is the time when grief fatigue can be the most intense. During this time, your system is still in shock, everything feels heavy, and you may even feel disconnected from reality.
The physical impact of grief
During grief, the HPA axis can become overactive, leading to the prolonged release of stress hormones such as cortisol. Cortisol: Often referred to as the “stress hormone,” cortisol helps the body respond to stressful situations.
How Does Grief Change Your Face? Grief can alter your appearance. It's common for people to appear more tired, with noticeable changes in their facial expressions: Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes:Stress and lack of sleep from grieving can result in tired-looking eyes, with noticeable puffiness or dark circles.
Our emotional stress response also causes tension all along the digestive tract. This affects the vagus nerve which is a two-way communication highway between our brain and our gut.
In the early days, most people experiencing grief simply do not feel hungry or cannot swallow food. Stress is mainly to blame. But food may also not taste the same as before or we may simply be too distracted and forget to eat until late at night. Dramatic weight loss in grief is therefore very common.
Stress can also cause gastritis because anxiety creates a hormonal state in the body that increases the secretion of gastric juices, causing stomach pain, bloating, acidity and burning.
In many cultures, the number 40 carries profound symbolic meaning. It represents a period of transition, purification, and spiritual transformation. The 40-day period is often seen as a time for the departed's soul to complete its journey to the afterlife, seeking forgiveness, redemption, and peace.
HOW GRIEF CHANGES US FOR NOW: Changes in sleep, eating, and overall energy. Personality changes like being more irritable, less patient, or no longer having the tolerance for other people's “small” problems. Forgetfulness, trouble concentrating and focusing.
10 tips to get through grief
When you carry grief, it doesn't just stay as a feeling; it becomes something your body holds. This can look like tension in your shoulders, a heaviness in your chest, or even digestive issues. Grief trauma can live in any part of you and show up when you least expect it.
The death of a husband or wife is well recognized as an emotionally devastating event, being ranked on life event scales as the most stressful of all possible losses.
Psychotherapy. Complicated grief is often treated with a type of psychotherapy called complicated grief therapy. It's similar to psychotherapy techniques used for depression and PTSD, but it's specifically for complicated grief. This treatment can be effective when done individually or in a group format.
Techniques such as somatic yoga, shaking, or deep diaphragmatic breathing allow emotions tied to grief to surface and dissipate naturally, helping to close the stress cycle and restore balance to the nervous system.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to emotional healing, just like there is no “right” way to grieve after loss. But in my experience, emotional healing happens in seven stages: awareness, acceptance, processing, release, growth, integration, and transformation.