Grief is a horribly uncomfortable experience. It makes sense why so many people want to just ignore it our plow through their grief. We want to believe our bodies are like machines but we require nourishment. Nourishment includes rest. That makes rest an intricate part of the grieving process.

When my father died when I was 16, I didn't know how important rest was to my grief journey. Believe it or not, I actually started college five months after his passing. Because I never learned the importance of rest, I eventually began to experience burnout and other symptoms of having a rest deficit.

In this blog post, I am sharing with you 3 things I wish I knew sooner about rest and grief.

Grieving Is Exhausting

Whether you realize it or not, all emotions have an impact on the physical body. People often discount how much energy is required to process emotions. Exhaustion is an early symptom of acute grief.

The Loss Foundation defines acute grief as the intense and encompassing time immediately following your loss. Grieving feels like the most physically demanding workout you've ever completed. Only, this workout lasts 24 hours a day, 7-days a week. There is no built-in rest day. To support yourself through grief it becomes your job to prioritize your rest practice because if you don't, your body will forcefully do it for you.

Sleep Isn't The Only Rest You Need

We take for granted how vital sleep is in our lives until we experience issues with our sleep patterns. Grief symptoms can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. When we are grieving, our bodies experience the same symptoms as extreme stress. Stress is one of the most common causes of insomnia.

While sleep is probably the most well-known form of rest, there are seven types of rest we need to prioritize to avoid burnout. Even if you feel like sleep is evasive, there are different things you can do to support your rest. You can create a shutdown ritual to separate work and personal life. Maybe you are an introvert and need to block off time to be alone. This may be the time for you to take a break from social media or commit to daily walks in nature. There are many diverse ways to support your rest practice.

There Is No Time Limit For Grief Fatigue

In last week's blog post, I described grief as a labyrinth and discussed how unpredictable and personalized a person's grief journey truly is. No one experiences grief in the same way; that includes its symptoms. As I mentioned above, exhaustion is an early symptom of acute grief. Acute grief is commonly classified as lasting up to two years. It's vital to treat yourself with the most compassion you have ever experienced in your life and not beat yourself up or wish to be another way when your body craves the rest you need to continue to move forward.

Rest Is A Non-Negotiable

Receiving rest and feeling restful will not magically make your grief go away or speed up your process. But, when you prioritize a variety of as much rest as possible, you will help yourself to have the strength to move forward.

I'm teaming up with my good friend Jeanette Rodriguez, CEO and Principal Yoga Teacher at Ethereal Lotus Yoga, to help you discover rest as a non-negotiable in your life. We are planning a powerful workshop for October to help you develop your rest toolkit.

I created the eBook, "Yoga for Grief: The Healing Practice" to offer you practice that can support immediately. Click Here to download your copy today.

If you are interested in learning how a personalized yoga protocol can help support you grief journey, I am here for you. Click Here to schedule a time for us to connect and begin that conversation.