Your Low-Stress Guide to Leveling-Up Your Bedtime Routine
Are You Burnt Out or Depressed?
My hips ached as I slept and as I sat.
Nothing could soothe them, not even painkillers or afew extra stretchesper day.
This was a pain Id never experienced, but it mirrored the emotional anguish I was enduring.
My best friend had just died, and my body held massive stress.
It was as if my hips were bracing for impact from the next inevitable devastation.
Dr. Kathy Shear, Founder and Director of the Center for Complicated Grief, is an internist and a psychiatrist with the heart of a social worker.
The seasons were changing, and all I could think about was how much my life had suddenly shifted.
The persistent pain was yet another transition through which I was struggling.
While my bleary-eyed TV-watching marathons didnt help, the pain was a symptom of something bigger.
Grief had made a home within my body, and I carried it with me as I moved.
In her clinical work, shes seen the physical symptoms of grief firsthand.
A lot of people have pain in their body, she says.
It can be very intense and can be anywhere.
In other words, grief hurts.
Even though most of us emphasize the emotional weight, bodies react to the stress and pain as well.
Dr. Kathy Shear, Founder and Director of the Center for Complicated Grief, is an internist and a psychiatrist with the heart of a social worker.
Dr. Shear says that altered sleep and weight fluctuations are common, too.
Our response to loss connects to every single body part.
Our bodies roar as we wrap ourselves around a newly-arrived reality.
If physical pain has become a part of your grieving journey, youll find a few tips below.
All of these fall within the realm ofnormal grief reactions.
While addressing any physical concerns, remind yourself that the pain youre feeling is a valid part of healing.
Just as physical cuts and sores take time to mend, so does the enormous pain of loss.
Embracing softness and self-compassion was huge for meespecially as a Black Nigerian woman.
Even before I lost my best friend, my body felt like a battlefielda receptacle for pain and roughness.
Grieving required me to reside in my softness.
kindly commit to giving yourself that same grace.
Acknowledge it, then attempt to settleto release whatever it is that youre experiencing in your body.
Instead of doing intense hip-opening exercises, a friend suggested I try both restorative yoga andyin yoga.
Both are slower-paced and involve holding poses for more extended periods.
For me, those moments on the mat were life-altering.
I had space to feel what was coming up and release it, too.
Within weeks, the aching in my hips dissipated.
My grief remained, but over time it felt more manageable.
Maybe yoga isnt for you, though.
Perhaps you like hiking or leisurely trail walks.
Maybe you want to feel the wind against your cheeks.
Or maybe weight lifting or burpees fits what you need.
you might adjust and experiment with what works.
Grief can be harrowing, and its perfectly fine to seek multiple methods of support.
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