How can grief affect your brain and what to do about it?

Grief has very similar symptoms of depression; you will likely experience low mood and periods of sadness.  This can affect your brain’s cognitive functioning; more specifically, you may notice that your thoughts tend to be me ruminative.  You may notice that your thoughts become hyper-focused on stressful things, and it may be more challenging to redirect your thought patterns.  Additionally, you may also have difficulty with concentration, which is closely connected/related to rumination.  Your memory may be impaired at times, forgetting perhaps simple things like where you place your personal items or tasks that are normally easy for you to remember.  Our brain reacts to stress, especially under a prolonged period of stress.  Grieving over a loss is something that is not measurable by time.  For some, grieving can take longer for them to cope and move forward.  Additionally, grieving may come in waves.  Some days you may feel perfectly fine, but then some days, you may experiences periods of distress that will impact your brain more significantly than other times. 

There are numerous ways to alleviate some of the distress your brain experiences while trying to grieve.  From a physiological perspective, it is helpful to explore some basic items that support optimal brain functioning.  For example, ensuring that you have a good sleep cycle is important.  That includes having a good nighttime routine that will facilitate the process of falling/staying asleep, such as taking a hot shower/bath, drinking a warm beverage, or listening to soothing music.  Nutrition is another area that really supports healthy brain functioning.  Typically, during times of grief, your appetite may be impaired, you may lose your appetite or find yourself overeating.  So, finding food items that have lots of nutrition is important to combat this.  Then there are ways to psychologically soothe your brain during times of grief, such as meditation and grounding exercises.  This approach helps to send signals to your brain that you are not under duress.  For others, having healthy distractions like art/crafts or doing a puzzle helps relax your brain under distress.  How someone copes with grief will vary depending on their personality, but finding ways to help you move forward from their grief may take some time.