Impart Therapy Blog

Excerpt: Learn how somatic grief symptoms impact your body and mind after a deep loss, and how grief therapy supports healing through breathwork, EMDR, movement, and listening to your body.

Grief doesn’t just affect your emotions; it is also felt physically through somatic grief symptoms. When someone experiences a deep loss like a breakup, losing a job, moving away, ending a friendship, or having a miscarriage, they might notice physical symptoms related to both grief and depression, such as tightness in the chest, trouble sleeping, fatigue, or stomach pain. These reactions are normal. Grief is a full-body experience, and with the right support, like grief therapy, you can begin healing by reconnecting with your body in gentle, supportive ways.

What Are the Physical Symptoms of Grief?

Grief can affect the body in many ways, and somatic therapy, grief counselling, or talk therapy can support both emotional and physical healing. While emotional pain is expected, physical symptoms are just as common.

Common physical symptoms of grief include:

• Tightness in the chest or throat – Sudden moments of tightness, feeling choked up, or like it’s hard to take a full breath.
• Fatigue or low energy – Many people experience waves of exhaustion that can last for months, leaving them feeling drained even after rest.
• Headaches or body aches – Stress and tension can show up as pain in the head, neck, shoulders, or pulsing aches throughout the body.
• Changes in appetite – Difficulty eating, losing interest in food, or struggling to swallow even small bites.
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia or oversleeping) – Tossing and turning at night with intrusive thoughts, or feeling too lethargic to get out of bed during the day.
• Digestive issues or stomach pain – Upset stomach, nausea, or other digestive discomforts that seem connected to stress or grief.
• Weakened immune system – Feeling more susceptible to colds, infections, or prolonged recovery from minor illnesses.

These symptoms can sometimes feel similar to depression, which is why many people benefit from professional mental health support when grief feels overwhelming or prolonged.

Somatic Therapy for Grief and Depression

Somatic and embodied therapies focus on how grief is not just felt emotionally, but is embodied, lived, and experienced in the body. Grief can live in the body as tension, heaviness, or discomfort, and it often needs space to move through the body in order to heal. These approaches gently support the release of that tension, helping you feel more grounded, present, and connected to yourself. Let’s explore a few simple body-based practices that can support this process. 

Breathwork: Calming the Nervous System

When we’re grieving, our breathing often becomes shallow or uneven. This can make us feel anxious or disconnected. Breathwork is a way to gently guide your body back into a calmer state.

Try this to release tension:

• Sit or lie down comfortably.
• Inhale slowly through your nose for 3 counts.
• Hold your breath for 2 counts.
• Exhale gently through your mouth for 3 counts.
• Repeat for a few minutes.

This kind of breathing helps calm the nervous system and brings a sense of control when emotions feel overwhelming.  If you are not able to do 3 and 2 counts, then start at 2 and 1 count. Count 1….. 2 to take a deep breath in and hold for 1 and then breathe out for 1…..2.  Build up to breathing in longer and holding for longer.

Movement: Letting Grief Flow Through the Body

Grief can make people feel stuck or frozen. Movement helps release that stuck energy. You don’t need to be a dancer or athlete; just moving your body in a way that feels natural can help.

Ideas to try to release negative energy:

• Go for a walk and notice how your body feels with each step.
• Stretch your arms, legs, and back slowly.
• Put on music and let your body move however it wants.
• Try gentle yoga or tai chi to reconnect with your breath and body. There are many low-cost places in the city to drop-in and try Yoga in Toronto all year round.

Movement helps express emotions that words can’t always reach. It also reminds you that your body is still alive and capable of healing.

EMDR: Reprocessing Painful Memories

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a therapy that helps people work through painful memories by using gentle stimulation like guided eye movements or tapping.

Grief, especially after a sudden or traumatic loss, can leave people feeling stuck in distressing memories. EMDR therapy, often offered alongside somatic therapy or grief counselling, helps the brain process painful memories safely and supports emotional healing.

 It’s often used when talk therapy alone isn’t enough.

If you’re interested in EMDR, Impart Therapy, has trained therapists who can guide you through the process. It’s not something to do on your own, but it can be very helpful for deep emotional healing. Book an appointment with our EMDR therapists today.

Listening: Pay Attention to Your Body’s Signals

Your body holds clues about how you’re feeling. Paying attention to those signals can help you understand your grief better.

Try a body scan:

• Sit quietly and close your eyes.
• Slowly bring your attention to different parts of your body from your head to your toes.
• Notice any tension, numbness, or discomfort.
• Breathe into those areas gently, without trying to fix anything.

This practice helps you become more aware of where grief lives in your body and how it shifts over time.

Somatic Healing: Tools for Somatic Grief Healing

Here are a few simple ways to bring somatic healing into your daily life:

• Start your day with deep breathing.
• Take short movement breaks when you feel overwhelmed.
• Write down how your body feels each day.
• Spend time in nature and notice how your body responds. Taking a walk through High Park is a great way to reconnect with nature.
• Use calming touch, like placing a hand on your heart or hugging a pillow.

These small actions can make a big difference over time. They help you stay connected to yourself and remind you that healing from grief is possible.

Acceptance: How to Cope with the Physical Symptoms of Grief

Grief is not something you “get over.” It’s something you learn to live with, and your body can help guide that process. Somatic and embodied approaches offer gentle ways to feel, move, and heal. They don’t require fancy tools or deep knowledge, just a willingness to listen to your body and take small steps toward comfort.

If you’re grieving, know that your body is not broken. It’s trying to help you. With care, movement, and breath, you can begin to feel more whole again.  To better understand grief, you can read our article, “What is Grief? Beyond the Five Stages and How to Cope”.

When to Seek Grief Therapy

While grief is a natural response to loss, there are times when additional support can help. You may benefit from grief therapy if:

• Your physical symptoms are not improving over time
• You feel stuck, numb, or overwhelmed
• Grief is affecting your daily life or relationships
• You’re also experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety

At Impart Therapy, somatic approaches are often integrated into grief therapy sessions, helping clients reconnect with their bodies safely. We offer grief counselling in Toronto and across the GTA, including somatic approaches and EMDR therapy to support both emotional and physical healing. If you’re looking for support, you can learn more about our grief services by visiting our Grief and Loss Counselling page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Grief

Can grief cause physical pain?
Yes, grief can cause real physical symptoms like chest tightness, fatigue, headaches, and stomach issues.

How long do physical symptoms of grief last?
It varies. Some symptoms last weeks, while others may come and go for months, especially without support.

Is grief the same as depression?
Grief and depression can overlap, but they are different. If symptoms persist or worsen, therapy can help clarify and support recovery.