As the seasons shift and life starts to quiet, many people notice a deep tiredness setting in. You may feel your body asking for rest — yet slowing down feels impossible.

You might think, “If I stop moving, I’ll fall apart,” or “I’ve finally regained momentum — I can’t lose it now.”

But what if slowing down isn’t falling behind? What if it’s your body’s way of integrating loss and emotion — a gentle cue that healing needs space?

This is where grief counselling can help. Working with a counsellor offers a safe, structured space to pause, reflect, and restore — without fear that you’ll lose your way.

Understanding Grief and the Need for Rest

Grief doesn’t only come after losing a loved one. It also shows up during transitions — endings, unmet expectations, or shifts in identity. Often, people tell me, “I thought I was doing fine, but I’m just exhausted all the time.”

That exhaustion isn’t weakness; it’s your body processing what your mind hasn’t yet found words for. In grief counselling, we explore how your emotions are held in your body — and how rest, rather than avoidance, becomes part of your healing process.

Learning to pause gently, instead of pushing through pain, helps you reconnect with yourself. When you give permission to rest, you allow grief to move instead of staying stuck.

Why Slowing Down Feels So Uncomfortable

For many, rest feels unsafe because busyness has been a form of protection. When we stop, the quiet brings forward sadness, longing, or regret. It’s natural to want to avoid that discomfort.

In grief counselling, we take this one step at a time — practising rest in ways that feel safe. You might set soft boundaries, shorten your to-do list, or take small “savouring pauses” instead of full breaks.

Healing doesn’t mean forcing stillness; it means learning how to be with yourself again. Together, we create space for those emotions to surface gently — at your pace, with compassion and care.

Art Therapy and Rest in Grief Counselling

Finding Permission to Heal Through Rest

Rest isn’t earned; it’s essential. Yet giving ourselves permission to slow down can be one of the hardest parts of grief.

When you work with a grief counsellor, you’re not asked to push through pain — you’re invited to pause and listen to what your body and emotions are saying.

Maybe slowing down looks like declining a commitment, sitting with quiet tears, or making something with your hands. However it unfolds, each pause becomes part of your healing rhythm.

You don’t have to navigate that process alone.

Begin Your Healing with Alleah Bowring

If you’re finding it difficult to rest or slow down while grieving, grief counselling can help you move through loss with gentleness and guidance.

I’m Alleah Bowring, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Art Therapist at Parallel Wellness in Burnaby, BC, and online anywhere in British Columbia. Together, we’ll work to honour your grief, find moments of calm, and rebuild a sense of peace — one breath, one brushstroke, one day at a time.

Book your complimentary consultation today through Parallel Wellness Counselling. Let’s begin creating space for your healing to unfold.