When Pet Loss Hurts More Than Just Your Heart

Physical Effects of Pet Loss Grief
Written By Samantha Morse

While most people expect the emotional pain of pet loss, many are surprised by how grief can show up physically as well. This can look like:

  • Exhaustion that sleep doesn't seem to fix

  • Changes in appetite (eating too much or barely at all)

  • Trouble sleeping, or sleeping much more than usual

  • Physical aches and pains with no clear cause

  • Digestive issues or nausea

  • Feeling "heavy" or like you're moving through thick air

  • Brain fog and difficulty concentrating

  • Getting sick more often than usual

The physical symptoms of pet loss grief are real, valid, and incredibly common. You're not "falling apart" or being dramatic—you're having a normal human response to a profound loss.

Your physical habits were also deeply connected to your pet's daily rhythms and needs. When that connection is suddenly severed, your entire system feels the disruption.

What’s more, if you spent weeks or months caring for your pet as they declined — no doubt constantly aware of their every cough or the smallest sign of distress — your body is also coming down from that period of hyper-vigilance and caretaker stress.

So taking care of your physical needs isn't optional during this time. And yet, when we’re in the midst of intense grief, it can be very hard to find the energy, capacity, or time to care for ourselves.

We need something quick, easy, and effective. And here is one of my favorite resources that checks all of these boxes…

The Insight Timer app has some amazing guided meditations specifically for grief, moving emotions through the body, and restful sleep. It's free, and its search feature makes it easy to find exactly what you need in the moment.

I know, I know…you might be thinking—"I'm not a meditator - I’ve tried“ or "I can’t imagine just sitting still and clearing my mind." 

Believe me, that was me too. I didn’t understand how someone could “just sit there”and find it relaxing. My brain was way too active and I had too many thoughts, especially when I was dealing with heartbreak on top of my usual endless to-do list.

But when I finally tried some of the guided meditations (the guidance was key for helping me relax and focus) on Insight Timer, I was so pleasantly surprised to find that:

  • At the very least, each meditation felt like having the most compassionate friend ever speak a steady stream of kind words to me (who doesn’t need that?)

  • Sometimes the meditations would relax me so much that I’d just fall asleep (something I especially needed during times of grief)

  • Most days, even 5 minutes brought me so much peace and comfort that meditation became something I craved and began recommending to other pet parents. 

  • Even on days when I felt like I couldn't focus at all and figured the meditation had been a waste, I noticed positive changes later on—it was still doing me good, even on the hardest days.

Here are some of my favorite meditations on Insight Timer for moving grief through the body and giving yourself some much-needed moments of relaxation, no matter how much time you have or don't have:

  • “Release Trapped Emotions” by Sydney Kushta (5 minutes)

  • “Waves of Grief” by Amrit-Sadhana Boyd (7 minutes)

  • “Meditation for Grief” by Lisa Machnac (8 minutes)

  • “The Emotional Body Scan” by Dora Kamau (10 minutes)

  • “Release Trapped Emotions While Sleeping” by Loula Love (10 minutes)

  • “Heart Healing Grief Meditation/Loss of Your Dog” by Olivia StClaire (22 minutes)

  • Any bedtime story narrated by Glenda Cedarleaf. These have had a 100% success rate of getting me to fall asleep on the most restless nights (I used the Sea Fairies story just last night).

Other resources that can help:

  • Movement: It’s so simple but so effective. Stretching, walking outside, or even just rolling your shoulders can help get stuck emotions moving. 

  • Simple creativity: Writing, drawing, singing, coloring, even scribbling can all be cathartic for your mind and body.

  • Laughter: This is something most of us don’t think of when we’re grieving, but laughter is so good for relieving the physical symptoms of grief. It can be anything that brings a moment of lightness—a funny show, scrolling Reels, or calling someone who always makes you smile.

Remember, there's no "right" way to care for your grieving body. The goal is simply to acknowledge that your physical self needs support too, and to offer it whatever feels manageable today.

Be kind with yourself as your whole self—mind, body, and heart—works through this grief.

Samantha Morse