The death of a close family member or friend in the UK is accompanied by substantial practical demands: arranging the funeral, managing the estate, informing institutions, supporting other bereaved family members. This happens precisely when the biological disruptions of grief, including immune suppression, cortisol dysregulation, and sleep disruption, are at their most pronounced. The result is a period of intense physical vulnerability during which most bereaved people are expected to function at an unusually high practical level. Recognising this context is the first step toward managing it.
Sleep: The Highest Priority
Grief-related sleep disruption is extremely common. The strategies that have the best evidence for grief-related insomnia are: maintaining consistent sleep and wake times regardless of how little sleep occurred; getting exposure to natural light in the first hour of waking to support the cortisol awakening response and circadian rhythm; avoiding alcohol, which may appear to help sleep but suppresses REM sleep and worsens early-morning waking; and using the bed only for sleep, not for lying awake worrying. Where sleep disruption is severe and persistent, a brief course of sleep medication prescribed by a GP, combined with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, can prevent the compounding consequences of sustained sleep deprivation.
Nutrition When Appetite Is Lost
Loss of appetite is extremely common in acute grief and is physiologically driven by the stress hormone changes described earlier. The practical priority when appetite is absent is protein. Immune cells, neurotransmitters, and tissue repair all depend on amino acids, and the immune compromise of grief makes protein adequacy especially important. Practical strategies include: keeping simple high-protein foods available, such as eggs, Greek yoghurt, nuts, and legumes; accepting food help from others rather than declining it; using small, frequent eating rather than attempting normal meal sizes; and monitoring for significant unintentional weight loss, which warrants medical attention.
Alcohol and Substance Use in Bereavement
Alcohol use frequently increases during bereavement. It appears to reduce acute distress through GABAergic inhibition and has obvious social context around funeral periods. The problems are multiple: alcohol worsens sleep quality, suppresses immune function, disrupts cortisol regulation, and functions as a depressant in the medium term. People with a history of alcohol problems or family history of alcohol dependence are at particular risk of escalation during bereavement. Monitoring your own consumption and having an honest conversation with a GP if it is increasing are appropriate precautions.
Movement During Grief
Regular movement during grief has multiple benefits: it activates the endocannabinoid and opioid systems that provide natural analgesia and mood elevation; it supports circadian rhythm through light exposure and temperature regulation; it provides a reason to leave the house, which maintains social exposure; and it directly counteracts the physiological stress response through cortisol metabolism. The goal during acute grief is not exercise in its usual sense but movement: walking outside, gentle yoga, swimming. A 20-minute daily walk in daylight is a realistic and evidence-supported starting point that offers meaningful biological benefit.