Grief is a bugger. It can take a serious toll. I think when we lose a loved one we all expect our minds to be deeply troubled and overwhelmed, our bodies to feel heavy, as well as our hearts hurting. And by heart, I mean the one that is not physically pumping blood but more of an identifiable place within us that we store up our treasures.
But the fact is, that grief doesn’t just impact our thought or emotional life. Grief deeply impacts our entire being; our blood-pumping heart as well as the rest of our body. Our minds + bodies get pretty darn stressed in the wake of loss . We have some pretty great systems in place to help us cope but they certainly tucker out over time.
And here is the deal… grief is rarely, if ever, short-term. So, our bodies get stressed and just can’t handle the load well… our stress alarms begin to get uber-sensitive and go off haphazardly. With each ringing alarm, our poor nerves get frazzled and tattered. Can you feel it? Do you relate?
IF so, how many times a day does your stress alarm go off irrationally? Do you get startled at the slightest thing?
Grief has an array of effects on our body but a very common one is an overactive fight or flight response. I know this is still an active problem for me.
Acute stress unresolved can quickly become chronic stress. It’s important to learn some calming and restorative techniques that can help you deal with it as it hits.
I have a list of really great natural options. They differ depending on the setting. If I am out and about my response looks a lot different than if I am at home where I have privacy.
But my #1 quick go-to is grabbing a mint or citrus essential oil bottle, cracking the cap off and inhaling the thing for 1-2 minutes. BIG DEEP breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth help me to slow down my brain enough to talk to God about what I am facing - even if I can only get out “Help me, God.”
The other thing that happens in that moment is the essential oils begin to work with my brain at processing those feelings while helping my nerves to calm down. Just smelling them accomplishes this.
This is my quick + easy approach in an emergency situation. I do have a particular process I go through to help me work through my grief on a deeper level. I have shared some of it in the Hope for the Grieving Heart self-guided digital workbook. It’s available in our store.
One thing I am sure of, it is REALLY important to fund your way to work through it and process it. Stuffing, or avoiding will not work long-term. Your body really does keep the score.
If you need more help discovering what works for you make sure and check out my book or pop over to our instagram account. We have a lot more resources coming your way.
My one prayer for every single person wiggling their way through grief is this, that you truly feel Jesus meeting you in the thick of it. That you have energy enough to look for him and listen. He has the sweetest way of meeting you in the depths and tending to your broken heart. Other things are needed but they don’t amount to much without him.
Healing through grief isn’t easy but it is SO WORTH IT!
