Through my work I was sent on a course to look at how I could help people that had been effected by grief.

Everyone has ideas and thoughts about how it will affect you and they mainly seem to be linked to how your mind deals with it. 

However a lot of the reactions we experience are physical responses. 

One of the most common early symptoms of grief is extreme tiredness that makes even routine tasks hard. Some people have even said that it feels like having the worst case of flu, in that you don't feel like you can even get your body out of bed. 

You feel total fatigue that completely knocks you off your feet.

When you suffer a loss you can feel like your heart has been totally broken and again we feel that this is an emotional reaction. 

Over the years scientists have found that grief can actually cause heart problems. 

Grief not only changes our hormones it can also cause changes to our immune system which can make you prone to many more ailments. 

You may find that you are picking up every bug that is doing the rounds and that the minute you start to recover from one you start with another.

It has also been shown that the stress caused by the grief can lead on to increasing rates of heart problems in vulnerable people.

In older people experiencing grief it has even been shown that the loss of a partner can bring on heart conditions which can shorten their own life span considerably. 

With these physical problems that can occur, and not everyone will get them, it is so important that you try to take care of yourselves. 

I know this can be really hard to do and can often fall on to other family members to make sure that the grieving person is eating and taking in enough water. Just these two things can make a huge difference to the persons quality of life. 

We have all heard so much about the positive benefits of exercise and being out in the sunshine and we can be quite sceptical about this but it has been proven that even a short 20 minute walk outside can help you cope with things more. 

I know it can feel like a huge mountain to conquer but with support from family & friends and sometimes professional support, families can move on. 

Knowing that the physical things you have been experiencing are totally normal and are actually happening, rather than you thinking it is all in your head, can make you see that you are 'not going mad' you are GRIEVING.

Grief is a very powerful emotion and can cause both mental and physical reactions. Don't let others tell you any different or make you feel like you are making it up. 

Bereavement support is so important to anyone going through the loss of a loved one and getting the right support can make a persons adaptions to their new lives a lot easier to bare.

If you know someone that is grieving spare a moment to pop round to say hello, take them a prepared dinner or just sit with them for a while. Showing you care can make a huge difference.