Why Grief Hurts: How Loss Shows Up in Your Body

Have you ever been deep in grief and wondered: why does my chest actually hurt? Why can’t I sleep no matter how exhausted I am? Why do I feel like I’m getting sick all the time? If that’s you, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I’m breaking down how grief shows up physically in the body and, more importantly, why it happens. Drawing from Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor’s book The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing, I walk you through some of the most common physical symptoms grievers experience, the science behind them, and a few gentle ways to take care of yourself while your body is doing some of the hardest work of your life.

Here’s what we cover:
✨ Why grief is not just an emotional experience
✨ The role of attachment theory and how our loved ones were actually regulating our nervous systems while they were alive
✨ The difference between heartache and heartbreak
✨ How cortisol and stress hormones stay elevated long after a loss
✨ Why sleep becomes such a difficulty during grief
✨ How grief suppresses your immune system
✨ The gut-brain connection and how grief shows up at the dinner table
✨ Crying, including why it happens, what it does for our brains, and why I am a huge proponent of letting it out
✨ Five gentle, doable ways to support your body while it’s grieving

Whether you’re in the thick of early grief, years out from a loss and still noticing physical effects, or supporting someone who is grieving, this episode is for you.