Last Updated: October 2026
When someone is grieving, they may experience physical changes such as tiredness, disrupted sleep, changes in appetite, muscle tension, headaches, digestive discomfort or a general feeling of heaviness.
Grief absolutely can affect the body as well as the mind and emotions. These experiences can vary greatly from person to person and may change throughout the grieving process.
At the Institute of Body Psychotherapy, we explore the relationship between the body, emotions, mind and lived experience through body psychotherapy and Core Energetics. In this article, we’ll look at how grief can affect the body, why physical symptoms may occur during bereavement, and how a body-oriented approach may support someone who is processing loss.
How is Grief Felt?
- Grief is not something we experience only through our thoughts.
- Emotional distress can influence sleep, energy, appetite, breathing, muscle tension and the way we experience sensations in our body.
- No two people experience grief the same way, and everyone will need to process it in their own way, in their own time.
- For some people, grief may also bring periods of numbness or disconnection, while others may feel emotions very strongly through physical sensations.
- Understanding physical experiences can help people feel less confused by what their body is doing — and body-oriented psychotherapy offers a way of exploring that mind-body connection.
Is Grief Felt in the Body for Longer Than We Realise?
This week marked one year since my father passed away.
Anniversaries of loss often bring a complex mix of feelings—love, sadness, gratitude, and the deep ache of absence. Over these days, I’ve found myself reflecting on how profoundly grief resides in the body, not just the mind.
When we first experience loss, it can feel like a shock to the system. And that shock doesn’t just stay in our thoughts—it moves through the nervous system, changing how we breathe, how we move, how our muscles hold tension.
In the twelve months since losing my much-loved Dad, I’ve felt these changes in a very real, physical way. Some days I felt numb or disconnected. Other days brought anxiety. Often, I simply didn’t feel quite like myself.
Can Grief Affect Your Physical Health?
Grief, especially when unprocessed, can leave us emotionally flat. Our bodies might carry what our minds aren’t yet ready to speak. And because grief can ebb and flow, it doesn’t always follow a clear path.
What Does Grief Feel Like in the Body?
- Feeling fine one day, only to be brought to tears by a memory the next
- Emotional waves that come with physical sensations
- Tightening in the chest
- Heaviness in the limbs
- Inexplicable fatigue
- Physically depleted
- Changes in sleep
- Appetite changes
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Digestive discomfort
- Restlessness
- Changes in breathing
- Feeling numb or disconnected
Learning to recognise these patterns in the body is a way of honouring our experience, rather than pushing it away. Grief can affect physical wellbeing in several ways, particularly through changes in sleep, appetite, energy, stress responses and muscle tension.
Physical symptoms during grief are real, but they can have many possible causes and shouldn’t automatically be attributed to grief, so remember to talk to a health professional if something feels wrong.
How Can You Support Your Body and Mind Through Grief?
One of the practices that has supported me through this time is Heart-Brain Coherence breathing, a technique developed by the HeartMath Institute. It’s a simple yet powerful way to bring balance between our emotional and physiological states.
Here’s how it works:
- Focus your attention on the area around your heart.
- Begin breathing slowly and steadily through your nose—about five seconds in, five seconds out.
- As you breathe, gently activate a feeling of love, care, or appreciation. This might come from a memory, a person, or even a pet.
Just two to three minutes of this practice can ease the heaviness of grief, calm the nervous system, and create space for the heart to soften and heal. Over time, this regular tuning in to the heart can build emotional resilience. It doesn’t remove the pain of loss, but it helps us be with it more fully, without becoming overwhelmed.
When Should You Seek Help With Grief?
Grief is a natural response to loss, and there is no single correct way or timeframe for grieving. However, additional support may be helpful if grief feels overwhelming, you’re struggling to function day to day, you’re experiencing prolonged isolation or numbness, or you simply don’t want to move through the experience alone. You might seek support from a GP, psychologist, counsellor, grief specialist or another appropriately qualified professional depending on your needs.
How Can Body Psychotherapy Support Someone Experiencing Grief?
At the Institute of Body Psychotherapy, we work with people who are open to using their body as part of their healing journey, to help process blocked emotions, recalibrate your energy levels, and feel more like yourself again.
Body psychotherapy may provide space for you to:
- Notice physical sensations associated with emotions.
- Develop greater awareness of the body.
- Explore emotions that may be difficult to put into words.
- Work with patterns of tension or holding.
- Reconnect with bodily awareness.
- Explore grief at a pace appropriate for you.
Andrea Alexander offers body-centred psychotherapy with depth and care in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, or via Zoom.
Or feel free to get in touch if you’d like to learn more.
Learn more about our core energetics therapy, somatic psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, core energetics training, core energetics techniques and workshops and how we can help you.
Individual & Couples Sessions in Brisbane & Sunshine Coast
Whether you’re on a healing journey or simply feeling out of touch with yourself, body psychotherapy offers a space reconnect and realign with what matters most.
Andrea Alexander offers body psychotherapy sessions in both Brisbane (Kelvin Grove) and the Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore), as well as online.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can Grief Affect the Nervous System?
Intense emotional stress can be accompanied by changes in arousal and regulation. Some people may feel:
- restless or on edge
- exhausted
- unable to relax
- emotionally numb
- disconnected
- easily overwhelmed
Can Grief Make You Feel Numb or Disconnected From Your Body?
Yes. Grief doesn’t always feel like intense sadness. Some people experience:
- numbness
- detachment
- difficulty identifying emotions
- feeling as though they are “going through the motions”
- difficulty noticing bodily sensations
Can Grief Cause Physical Pain?
Grief can be accompanied by physical discomfort or pain, but physical pain can have many causes. Muscle tension, poor sleep, changes in routine and heightened stress can all contribute to how the body feels during a difficult period. New, severe, persistent or concerning physical symptoms should be discussed with a doctor rather than assumed to be caused by grief.
How Can Grief Affect Your Sleep?
Sleep disruption is a very intuitive physical consequence of grief that connects to a wider cycle: grief → disrupted sleep → fatigue → reduced emotional capacity. You could experience:
- difficulty falling asleep
- waking during the night
- sleeping more than usual
- feeling exhausted despite sleeping
- changes in normal routines