Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S3E15 Why Does My Body Feel Like This? Grief Starts Here cover art

Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S3E15 Why Does My Body Feel Like This? Grief Starts Here

Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S3E15 Why Does My Body Feel Like This? Grief Starts Here

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Physical Grief Reactions: When Loss Lives in the Body Grief isn't just emotional. It lives in your chest, your gut, your sleep, and your nervous system. In this episode, Dr. Heather Taylor kicks off a six-part series on the six categories of grief reactions by exploring one of the most overlooked: the physical symptoms of grief. If you've been exhausted for no clear reason, dealing with unexplained aches, chest tightness, or stomach issues since a loss, this episode is for you. Your body isn't broken. It's grieving. In this episode you'll learn: Why grief is a whole-body experience, not just an emotional oneThe most common physical symptoms of grief and why they're completely normalHow your nervous system responds to loss (polyvagal theory explained simply)Why grief shows up in the body in certain cultural and family contextsWhy children often express grief through physical complaints and behavior changesWhat "griefiversaries" are and why your body braces before you consciously rememberPractical ways to support your body through physical grief, including grounding rituals, nervous system regulation tools, and daily body check-ins Physical grief symptoms discussed: Fatigue, chest tightness, heart palpitations, takotsubo cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome), appetite changes, GI disruption, headaches, muscle tension, sleep disruption, panic-like sensations, unexplained aches, and dissociation. Resources and concepts mentioned: Polyvagal theory (Stephen Porges)"Name it to tame it" (Daniel Siegel)The Dougy Center's 10 Core Principles of Grief-Informed Practice This is Part 1 of 6 in the Grief Reactions Series: Part 1: Physical | Part 2: Emotional | Part 3: Cognitive | Part 4: Behavioral | Part 5: Spiritual and Existential | Part 6: Social Episode Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and Series Introduction 01:58 Why Grief Hits the Body First 03:09 Cultural Context and Children's Body Signals 04:15 Common Physical Symptoms of Grief 07:21 Griefiversaries and Why the Body Braces 10:15 Your Nervous System in Grief Mode 12:02 Practical Body Care Tools 14:59 Guided Body Check-In 16:06 Key Takeaways and Next Episode Grief is not a problem to solve. It is a human experience to move through, and most of us were never taught how. Grief is the New Normal is hosted by Dr. Heather Taylor, licensed psychologist and grief specialist with over a decade of experience in grief, trauma, and reproductive psychology. This show exists to change the conversation around loss by expanding what grief looks like, who it belongs to, and what it actually means to integrate it into your life. Whether you're grieving a death, a diagnosis, a relationship, an identity shift, or the world as you knew it, your grief is real, it deserves space, and you are not behind. And if you're a clinician, coach, or helper carrying your own grief while holding space for others, this show was built for you too. Dr. Taylor brings research-informed frameworks, honest clinical perspective, and the STAY framework, a grief-informed approach to living with loss that goes far beyond the five stages. Expect nuance, depth, and conversations that take grief seriously. No toxic positivity. No fixing. Just honest conversation, real validation, and a community built around grief literacy, disenfranchised grief, anticipatory grief, collective grief, and the full spectrum of human loss. grief support podcast · disenfranchised grief · anticipatory grief · grief after loss · grief for clinicians · grief-informed care · grief literacy · coping with grief · grief and identity · mental health and grief · reproductive grief · pet loss grief · collective trauma and grief · grief integration · STAY framework New episodes dropping regularly Connect with Dr. Heather Taylor: Website: griefisthenewnormal.com Instagram: @grief_is_the_new_normal Substack: How We STAY with Grief https://drheathertaylor.substack.com/ Newsletter: Bridging the Grief Gap on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-taylor-psyd-licensed-psychologist/ Journal: Authentically Unapologetic, available on Amazon https://a.co/d/0dM0DloC Contact: hello@griefisthenewnormal.com This episode is sponsored by Oasys EHR. Try Oasys free for your first month. Use code HEATHER-2865 at oasysehr.com. Music by The Dadicorns. Copyright 2026.
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