How I Protected My Peace During a Year of Grief
When life is life-ing hard, it can feel like everything is the pits. One thing goes wrong, then another, and suddenly your demise is happening.
I’ve felt that before. Last year, I lost both my grandad and nana. Two massive pillars in my famili’s lives, gone in the one year. It was so sad. And it shook everyone around me. Grief has this way of rippling through every layer of your being: physical, emotional, spiritual.
During that time, it would’ve been so easy to spiral, and you know what probably valid too. To let it all go. But what I learned was this: protecting your peace doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine. It means making space for your emotions while still honouring the parts of you that need structure, softness, and support.
When It Feels Like Everything Is Falling Apart
In seasons of grief, burnout, anxiety, or overwhelm, it’s easy to let your habits go. You think, “what’s the point of eating my greens, journaling, or walking, when life feels like it doesn’t want me to?”
But this is exactly why you should. Those little things, the ones that feel almost insignificant in isolation, are the ones that keep you from completely unravelling.
That’s what protecting your peace really means. It’s not about being unaffected. It’s about anchoring into daily acts of care that remind your body and mind: You’ve been through hard things before and you can do it again.
You Can Compartmentalise Without Shutting Down
There’s a difference between emotional suppression and healthy compartmentalising. One disconnects you from your body. The other gives you a container to feel, without letting one hard thing consume everything.
When grief hit, or I saw how it was affecting one of my family members, I realised that I couldn’t control the waves but I could learn to ride them. I started focusing on the small rituals that kept me grounded.
I kept feeding myself simple, nourishing meals. I still moved my body. I went outside for walks in the sunshine. I drank water. I journaled (a lot). I got quiet inside. And I reminded myself: “You’ve been through hard things before. Life happens, you can do it again.”
The Science Behind Protecting Your Peace
This isn’t just woo woo wellness talk, there’s real biology at play.
When we’re going through something emotionally taxing, our nervous system enters a state of fight, flight, or freeze. This chronic activation raises cortisol levels, which affects your hormones, digestion, sleep, and even immune function.
Your body doesn’t know whether you’re running from a lion or dealing with grief, it just knows you’re under stress. That’s why the “small things” matter. They tell your nervous system: I am safe. And when your nervous system feels safe, your gut and hormones follow.
My Peace-Keeping Toolkit (What Actually Helped)
Here are the real-life practices that helped me hold it together when everything felt like it was falling apart (they are pretty basic!):
Morning rituals
Not elaborate. Just something for me. Yoga or gym. A tea. Breathwork.
Nourishing food
I focused on nourishing and warm meals that grounded. Porridge, eggs, rice, root veggies. No pressure for perfection, just care.
Walking outside
Fresh air does things that words can’t, especially in the sunshine and by the beach. Walking reminded me I was still here, still moving, still okay.
Rest & boundaries
I gave myself permission to rest. I also said “no” a lot more. This meant spending more time alone, but I knew I needed that.
Talking to people who get it
I didn’t ask for advice; I wanted to be heard by people who could relate (not that anyone will ever fully understand what you are going through).
Reminding myself of what I can control
I couldn’t change what happened. But I could show up for myself, one moment at a time, and trust that it would get easier.
What I Want You To Know
If you’re in it right now, whatever “it” looks like, remember:
You don’t have to do it all.
You don’t have to feel okay all the time.
You don’t have to snowball just because things are hard.
How I protected my peace during a year of grief wasn’t through some perfect wellness routine. It was through choosing myself, one action at a time.
It is possible, even through suffering. Protecting your peace is often the thing that helps you move through the '“thing”, without losing yourself along the way.
What do you do to protect your peace? I would love to hear it.
In today’s world, there is always something going on, but it’s good for you to know what small actions you can take to support you. These are the things that keep you up when life is putting you down.
With love and balance, my Friends x
