Exhaustion

Grief is exhausting in a way that sleep doesn’t fix.

You might wake up already tired.
Feel heavy in your limbs.
Struggle to get through the smallest tasks.
Need to lie down after doing almost nothing.

This isn’t laziness.
And it isn’t weakness.

Grief puts your whole system under strain. Your body is constantly scanning for danger, processing loss, managing waves of emotion, and holding itself together socially — often all at once.

That takes energy. A lot of it.

Neurologically, your nervous system may be stuck in a heightened state of alert. Even when you’re resting, your body doesn’t fully power down. Stress hormones remain elevated. Muscles stay tense. Sleep becomes lighter and less restorative.

Emotionally, grief is labour.
You are carrying absence.
Replaying memories.
Managing triggers.
Holding back tears - or letting them come.

All of that is work.

Exhaustion is your body asking for gentleness, not discipline.

You may need more sleep than usual.
More stillness.
More days where “enough” looks very small.

This isn’t permanent. But it is real.

If today all you can do is breathe, eat something simple, and get through the hours, that counts.

Rest is not giving up.
It’s how the body survives long enough to heal.