5 Signs You’re Holding Grief in Your Body

And How to Release It

Grief lives in the spaces we don’t always notice: the tightness in our chest, the lump in our throat, the exhaustion that doesn’t go away. Because grief isn’t just emotional—it’s physical. And if we don’t give it space to move, it finds a way to stay.

Maybe you’ve been pushing forward, telling yourself you’re fine. Maybe you’ve been so numb you don’t even realize you’re holding on. Either way, your body remembers. And when you listen closely, it tells you exactly what it needs.

Here are five signs your body is holding onto grief—and a breathwork practice to help you release it.

1. You Feel a Constant Tightness in Your Chest or Throat

Grief lives in the lungs. In moments of deep loss, we instinctively hold our breath, as if stopping time will stop the pain. Over time, this creates a feeling of pressure in the chest, constriction in the throat, or an inability to take a full breath.

💡 Your body is saying: There is emotion here, waiting to be felt. You are safe to breathe again.

🌬 Try This: Place a hand on your chest. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4… hold for 2… exhale with a soft sigh for 6. Repeat until you feel the space inside you expand.

2. You Sigh a Lot or Forget to Breathe Deeply

Do you catch yourself sighing throughout the day? Or realizing, after hours of work or scrolling, that you haven’t taken a single deep breath?

This is your body’s way of resetting your nervous system, reminding you that you’ve been in shallow, restricted breathing for too long.

💡 Your body is saying: I am trying to release, but I need your help.

🌬 Try This: Take a slow inhale through your nose. Hold it at the top for 3 seconds. Now exhale with an audible sigh—”AHHHHH” — let the sound carry out any tension. Repeat 3 times, softening with each breath.

3. You Feel Stuck, Heavy, or Numb

Grief doesn’t always show up as sadness. Sometimes, it feels like… nothing. A weight you can’t shake, a fog you can’t clear. This is what happens when the nervous system gets stuck in freeze mode—your body’s way of protecting you when emotions feel too overwhelming to process.

💡 Your body is saying: I’ve been holding this for you. It’s okay to move again.

🌬 Try This: Gently shake your hands, roll your shoulders, or tap lightly on your collarbones as you breathe. Movement + breath = an opening for energy to shift.

4. You Experience Random Waves of Exhaustion

Grief takes energy. Even if you’re not actively thinking about your loss, your body is processing it beneath the surface. And when emotions don’t have a way out, they drain your reserves, leaving you feeling chronically tired, unmotivated, or foggy.

💡 Your body is saying: Rest. Restore. I need time to process.

🌬 Try This: Instead of pushing through, pause. Close your eyes, inhale deeply, and imagine your breath filling you with warmth and light. Exhale slowly, letting your body receive the support it’s asking for.

5. Your Digestion Feels Off (Gut Issues, Nausea, Loss of Appetite)

Grief is deeply connected to the gut. That “gut-wrenching” feeling? The butterflies of anxiety? That’s the enteric nervous system, your body’s second brain, reacting to emotional overwhelm.

When grief isn’t processed, it can lead to loss of appetite, nausea, bloating, or digestive discomfort—not because something is wrong with you, but because your body is redirecting energy toward emotional survival.

💡 Your body is saying: Let’s return to balance. Let’s breathe into softness.

🌬 Try This: Breathe deeply into your belly. Inhale for 4, expanding the ribs. Hold for 2. Exhale for 6, letting your belly soften. Repeat, feeling warmth and ease returning to your center.

Breathwork to Release Stored Grief

If you resonate with these signs, I want to invite you into a simple but powerful breathwork practice to create space for release.

💛 The Heart-Opening Grief Release Breath

✨ Step 1: Find a comfortable space where you can sit or lie down.
✨ Step 2: Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly.
✨ Step 3: Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding into your belly for 4 counts.
✨ Step 4: Hold for 4, letting your heart receive the breath.
✨ Step 5: Exhale softly through your mouth for 6, releasing what’s ready to move.
✨ Step 6: Repeat for 2-5 minutes, sighing out any tension as you exhale.

💡 Affirmation: “With each breath, I soften. With each breath, I release. My body is safe to let go.”

If you want more I invite you to download my 7 Day Breathwork for Grief Guide here, or sign up for the launch of my Breathwork course Growing with Grief

If you feel called to work together 1:1 you can book a session here.