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The death of a spouse impacts every aspect of your life. Physically, you may experience exhaustion, appetite changes, and sleep disruption. Your body responds to stress with real symptoms – headaches, muscle tension, even a feeling of heaviness in your chest. These are normal stress responses, not signs of illness.

Emotionally, you’ll likely experience waves of different feelings, often unpredictably. One moment you might feel intense sadness, the next anger or guilt, and sometimes even relief if your spouse suffered. You might find yourself having conversations with your spouse, sensing their presence, or instinctively reaching for the phone to call them. These experiences are common and not signs of “losing it.”

Mentally, you may feel foggy or forgetful. Simple decisions might feel overwhelming. You might replay memories or questions about your spouse’s final days. Your concentration at work may suffer. This mental confusion is your brain processing profound change.

Rather than moving through neat “stages,” grief tends to come in waves. Some days you’ll feel stronger, others the loss feels fresh again. This pattern is normal and doesn’t mean you’re moving backward. Each person’s grief journey is unique – there’s no “right” way to grieve or timeline to follow.