March’s wellbeing topic at Tonic is movement (Move More to be exact) something we usually talk about in terms of health, energy and performance. But this month, movement feels different for me, says Becca Founder of Tonic Wellbeing.
“Earlier this year I experienced the sudden loss of my father. Like many people navigating grief, I’ve been reminded that wellbeing advice can feel very different when life throws something unexpected your way. As a Trainer and Practitioner, I spend my days helping organisations support the health of their people. Yet recently I’ve been experiencing something many employees face quietly, returning to work while carrying emotional weight. It’s made me reflect deeply on the role movement plays not just in physical health, but in helping us process difficult moments in life. Because sometimes movement isn’t about fitness. Sometimes it’s about giving the body, mind and nervous system the support they need to keep moving forward.”
Why Movement Matters During Grief, Stress and Loss
There are moments in life when the usual advice about health and wellbeing feels almost impossible to follow. When you’re grieving. When you’re emotionally exhausted. When life feels heavy. In those moments, the last thing many people feel like doing is moving their body. Yet science consistently shows that movement is one of the most powerful tools we have for navigating stress, grief and emotional overwhelm. Not because it fixes loss. But because it helps the body process it.
Grief is not just emotional, it’s physical
When we experience loss, our bodies respond in measurable physiological ways. Research shows grief can trigger:
- Increased cortisol (stress hormone)
- Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
- Sleep disruption
- Immune suppression
- Fatigue and brain fog
A large review published in Psychosomatic Medicine found that bereavement is associated with significant increases in inflammation and cardiovascular strain in the months following loss. This helps explain why grief often feels exhausting in the body, not just the mind. Your nervous system is working overtime.
Movement Helps the Body Process Stress
Physical activity acts as a natural regulator of the stress response.Even light movement can:
- Reduce cortisol levels
- Increase endorphins and serotonin
- Improve sleep quality
- Reduce inflammation
- Regulate the nervous system
Movement helps shift the body out of prolonged fight-or-flight and back towards recovery and regulation. Sometimes a walk is not about fitness. It is about nervous system repair.
Movement and Emotional Processing
Neuroscience suggests that emotions are processed more effectively when the body is moving.
Studies from Stanford University found that walking increases creative thinking by up to 60%, and can also help people process difficult emotions more clearly.
This may be why many people instinctively:
- go for a walk when they need to think
- move when they feel overwhelmed
- pace when processing difficult news
Movement gives the brain space to process.
The Workplace Reality: We Don’t Leave Grief at the Door
Many people return to work carrying invisible emotional weight.
According to research from the CIPD:
- 1 in 10 employees experience bereavement each year
- grief can affect concentration, energy, and performance
- many employees feel pressure to “carry on as normal”
But humans don’t switch emotions off when they arrive at work. This is where workplace wellbeing must evolve. Not just focusing on productivity. But supporting the whole person.
Move More, But Move Kindly
During periods of grief or stress, movement does not need to be intense. In fact, gentle movement can be more beneficial stimulating endorphins and lifting your mood.
Examples include:
- walking outdoors
- stretching or mobility work
- pilates, yoga or breath-led movement
- light strength training
- simply getting up and moving regularly during the day
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines recommend adults should aim for:
- 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, or
- 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus
- muscle-strengthening activity twice per week
But during emotionally difficult times, the goal may simply be:
move a little more than yesterday.
Movement is not just exercise, it is self-care.
When life feels heavy, movement becomes something different.
Not discipline.
Not performance.
Not punishment.
Movement becomes self-care. A way of helping the body carry what the heart is holding.
Before I share a simple “reframe exercise,” I want to say that right now movement looks a little different for me. It’s not about training plans or targets. It’s about fresh air, quiet moments, and giving my body the space it needs while my heart is still learning what it means to carry this loss.
A Small Reframe Exercise
This month, instead of thinking about activity as something you should do, try reframing it as something that supports you.
Ask yourself:
- What movement would help me feel better today?
- What does my body need right now?
- Could five minutes of movement shift how I feel?
Sometimes the smallest steps are the most powerful. I look forward to hearing how you get on.
References
CIPD (2024). Health and wellbeing at work survey report. Available at:
https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/health-wellbeing-work/
UK Chief Medical Officers (2019). UK physical activity guidelines. Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/physical-activity-guidelines-uk-chief-medical-officers-report
Schuch, F. B., Vancampfort, D., Firth, J., et al. (2018). Physical activity and incident depression: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(7), pp.631–648. Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29690792/
Oppezzo, M. and Schwartz, D. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Stanford University research summary. Available at:
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2014/04/walking-vs-sitting-042414
Buckley, T., Sunari, D., Marshall, A., Bartrop, R., McKinley, S. and Tofler, G. (2012). Physiological correlates of bereavement and the impact of bereavement interventions. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22754285/
Stroebe, M., Schut, H. and Stroebe, W. (2007). Health outcomes of bereavement. The Lancet, 370(9603), pp.1960–1973. Available at:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607618169/abstract
