Comfort for the Day

– 14 – Understanding Your Physical Grief “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14 TNIV I t’s difficult enough to wake up to our broken hearts each morning, but our grief also has physical side effects. Since there are seldom times that ignorance is beneficial, I must inform you that of all the areas we lose control after loss, we can gain control in how we treat our bodies during our seasons of grief. Our bodies suffer from the emotional trauma and when we are unaware that it is related to our grieving, we can become quite concerned about a sudden decline in health. In this section, you will discover many ways the body is affected by our grief, shock, loss and pain. You will also be encouraged to take personal control over your body with some very simple and useful suggestions. Weakened Immunity First off, the immune system of the bereaved is affected by the shock and will not return to optimum capacity for up to 12 months. This is because it takes a year to encounter most of the major “firsts” without the person who died. As we move through the seasons of grief during the first year, we re- encounter deep sadness and pain. While the heart is grieving, so is the body. Beginning each day with a good hot and then cold shower is an excellent way to get your blood circulating and mind functioning more clearly. Another benefit is that it also increases our white blood cell count which helps to fight disease, thus reducing the risk of illness. During the first year of grief, I finished each shower with a cold rinse. No, it didn’t feel great, but I figured it could be the worst thing that might happen to me that day and I had already gotten through it. I know the benefits of a