Grief and Loss: natural remedies and the evidence behind them

You want a structured way to process the loss itself. Grief-focused cognitive behavioral therapy helps you face memories of the person you lost, untangle painful thoughts, and gradually rebuild daily life.

Across 30 randomized trials in people with prolonged, disabling grief, CBT-based approaches showed the strongest results of any intervention — including online and group formats — making it the most reliable option if grief is not easing with time.

Dose or use Work with a licensed therapist trained in grief-focused CBT; typical courses run weekly for about 8 to 12 sessions, in person, in groups, or online.

Key study Systematic Review (2025, PMID 40180039): The efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions for prolonged grief disorder: A systematic review. Across 30 randomized controlled trials (2011-2024), grief-focused CBT was the most effective approach, working in individual, group, and online formats.

You want a mind-body way to sit with the loss. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy teaches you to observe grief-related thoughts and waves of emotion without being swept away by them.

It is one of the few mind-body approaches tested head-to-head in a randomized trial of people with prolonged grief: participants improved meaningfully over 11 weeks, and it can suit you if a gentler, acceptance-based style fits better than structured CBT — though CBT produced larger gains in that trial.

Dose or use A structured 8-to-11-week MBCT or MBSR course with a trained teacher or therapist, plus short daily home practice.

Key study Randomized Controlled Trial (2024, PMID 38656428): Cognitive Behavior Therapy vs Mindfulness in Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. In 100 adults with prolonged grief disorder, 11 weekly sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduced grief severity, though grief-focused CBT reduced it more.

You want a private, self-paced way to process the loss. Expressive journaling — writing honestly about the loss and about rebuilding life — gives shape to feelings that are hard to say out loud.

A randomized trial in bereaved adults found guided expressive writing eased grief, anxiety, and low mood in the short term; effects were modest and faded without practice, but it is free, private, and available any hour grief hits.

Dose or use Write freely for 15 to 20 minutes a day for several days in a row; alternate between writing about the loss itself and about small steps back into daily life.

Key study Randomized Controlled Trial (2026, PMID 40938342): The Effectiveness of Online Thematic Expressive Writing on Prolonged Grief Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, and Positive Mental Health among Refugees in the Transition Stage of Asylum Seeking. In 116 bereaved adults, a week of guided expressive-writing tasks improved grief and mood within groups, but gains were modest and not clearly durable versus controls.

You want a way to work through the loss itself. Music therapy uses listening to, making, or moving to music with a trained therapist to help you express and process grief.

Music therapy has been studied in people facing and grieving a loss, with encouraging though mixed results, and it offers a gentle, non-verbal way to express emotions that are hard to put into words.

Dose or use Work with a credentialed music therapist, or use intentional guided listening as a daily emotional-processing practice.

Key study Systematic Review (2024, PMID 38408966): Music therapy for supporting informal carers of adults with life-threatening illness pre- and post-bereavement; a mixed-methods systematic review. Across 34 studies (including 2 randomized trials), results were promising but mixed — strongest for carers around the time of loss — so consider it supportive care alongside, not instead of, grief counseling.

You want to process loss through the body as well as the mind. Yoga combines slow movement, breathing, and stillness, giving grief somewhere to go when words fall short.

In a small pilot trial of older adults with prolonged grief, a 10-week gentle yoga program was safe and was accompanied by meaningful improvements in grief and mood — early evidence, but a low-risk way to reconnect with your body during loss.

Dose or use A gentle or restorative class (such as Iyengar or hatha) once or twice weekly, plus short home practice; tell the teacher you prefer a slow pace.

Key study Randomized Controlled Trial (2025, PMID 41444366): Iyengar yoga and health education interventions for prolonged grief disorder in later life: feasibility of a randomized controlled pilot trial. In 39 bereaved older adults, 10 weeks of weekly yoga was safe, well-attended, and accompanied by medium-to-large improvements in grief and depressive symptoms; the study was a small pilot, so results are preliminary.

You want a structured way to process the loss itself. Grief-focused cognitive behavioral therapy helps you face memories of the person you lost, untangle painful thoughts, and gradually rebuild daily life.

Across 30 randomized trials in people with prolonged, disabling grief, CBT-based approaches showed the strongest results of any intervention — including online and group formats — making it the most reliable option if grief is not easing with time.

Dose or use Work with a licensed therapist trained in grief-focused CBT; typical courses run weekly for about 8 to 12 sessions, in person, in groups, or online.

Key study Systematic Review (2025, PMID 40180039): The efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions for prolonged grief disorder: A systematic review. Across 30 randomized controlled trials (2011-2024), grief-focused CBT was the most effective approach, working in individual, group, and online formats.

You want a mind-body way to sit with the loss. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy teaches you to observe grief-related thoughts and waves of emotion without being swept away by them.

It is one of the few mind-body approaches tested head-to-head in a randomized trial of people with prolonged grief: participants improved meaningfully over 11 weeks, and it can suit you if a gentler, acceptance-based style fits better than structured CBT — though CBT produced larger gains in that trial.

Dose or use A structured 8-to-11-week MBCT or MBSR course with a trained teacher or therapist, plus short daily home practice.

Key study Randomized Controlled Trial (2024, PMID 38656428): Cognitive Behavior Therapy vs Mindfulness in Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. In 100 adults with prolonged grief disorder, 11 weekly sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduced grief severity, though grief-focused CBT reduced it more.

You want a way to work through the loss itself. Music therapy uses listening to, making, or moving to music with a trained therapist to help you express and process grief.

Music therapy has been studied in people facing and grieving a loss, with encouraging though mixed results, and it offers a gentle, non-verbal way to express emotions that are hard to put into words.

Dose or use Work with a credentialed music therapist, or use intentional guided listening as a daily emotional-processing practice.

Key study Systematic Review (2024, PMID 38408966): Music therapy for supporting informal carers of adults with life-threatening illness pre- and post-bereavement; a mixed-methods systematic review. Across 34 studies (including 2 randomized trials), results were promising but mixed — strongest for carers around the time of loss — so consider it supportive care alongside, not instead of, grief counseling.

You said your mood feels low or flat. St. John's wort is the most-studied herb for mild-to-moderate low mood, working on the same serotonin pathways that grief can dampen.

It's the best-researched botanical for mild depressive symptoms, so it's a reasonable herbal option if grief has left you persistently low, though it hasn't been tested specifically for grief.

Dose or use Standardized extract, typically taken daily with food; give it several weeks. Start under a practitioner's guidance.

Key study Widely studied in clinical trials for mild-to-moderate depression; its specific use for grief has not been confirmed in controlled trials.

You want a structured way to process the loss itself. Grief-focused cognitive behavioral therapy helps you face memories of the person you lost, untangle painful thoughts, and gradually rebuild daily life.

Across 30 randomized trials in people with prolonged, disabling grief, CBT-based approaches showed the strongest results of any intervention — including online and group formats — making it the most reliable option if grief is not easing with time.

Dose or use Work with a licensed therapist trained in grief-focused CBT; typical courses run weekly for about 8 to 12 sessions, in person, in groups, or online.

Key study Systematic Review (2025, PMID 40180039): The efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions for prolonged grief disorder: A systematic review. Across 30 randomized controlled trials (2011-2024), grief-focused CBT was the most effective approach, working in individual, group, and online formats.

You want a mind-body way to sit with the loss. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy teaches you to observe grief-related thoughts and waves of emotion without being swept away by them.

It is one of the few mind-body approaches tested head-to-head in a randomized trial of people with prolonged grief: participants improved meaningfully over 11 weeks, and it can suit you if a gentler, acceptance-based style fits better than structured CBT — though CBT produced larger gains in that trial.

Dose or use A structured 8-to-11-week MBCT or MBSR course with a trained teacher or therapist, plus short daily home practice.

Key study Randomized Controlled Trial (2024, PMID 38656428): Cognitive Behavior Therapy vs Mindfulness in Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. In 100 adults with prolonged grief disorder, 11 weekly sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduced grief severity, though grief-focused CBT reduced it more.

You want a way to work through the loss itself. Music therapy uses listening to, making, or moving to music with a trained therapist to help you express and process grief.

Music therapy has been studied in people facing and grieving a loss, with encouraging though mixed results, and it offers a gentle, non-verbal way to express emotions that are hard to put into words.

Dose or use Work with a credentialed music therapist, or use intentional guided listening as a daily emotional-processing practice.

Key study Systematic Review (2024, PMID 38408966): Music therapy for supporting informal carers of adults with life-threatening illness pre- and post-bereavement; a mixed-methods systematic review. Across 34 studies (including 2 randomized trials), results were promising but mixed — strongest for carers around the time of loss — so consider it supportive care alongside, not instead of, grief counseling.

You want a private, self-paced way to process the loss. Expressive journaling — writing honestly about the loss and about rebuilding life — gives shape to feelings that are hard to say out loud.

A randomized trial in bereaved adults found guided expressive writing eased grief, anxiety, and low mood in the short term; effects were modest and faded without practice, but it is free, private, and available any hour grief hits.

Dose or use Write freely for 15 to 20 minutes a day for several days in a row; alternate between writing about the loss itself and about small steps back into daily life.

Key study Randomized Controlled Trial (2026, PMID 40938342): The Effectiveness of Online Thematic Expressive Writing on Prolonged Grief Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, and Positive Mental Health among Refugees in the Transition Stage of Asylum Seeking. In 116 bereaved adults, a week of guided expressive-writing tasks improved grief and mood within groups, but gains were modest and not clearly durable versus controls.

You want a way to work through the loss itself. Music therapy uses listening to, making, or moving to music with a trained therapist to help you express and process grief.

Music therapy has been studied in people facing and grieving a loss, with encouraging though mixed results, and it offers a gentle, non-verbal way to express emotions that are hard to put into words.

Dose or use Work with a credentialed music therapist, or use intentional guided listening as a daily emotional-processing practice.

Key study Systematic Review (2024, PMID 38408966): Music therapy for supporting informal carers of adults with life-threatening illness pre- and post-bereavement; a mixed-methods systematic review. Across 34 studies (including 2 randomized trials), results were promising but mixed — strongest for carers around the time of loss — so consider it supportive care alongside, not instead of, grief counseling.

You want to process loss through the body as well as the mind. Yoga combines slow movement, breathing, and stillness, giving grief somewhere to go when words fall short.

In a small pilot trial of older adults with prolonged grief, a 10-week gentle yoga program was safe and was accompanied by meaningful improvements in grief and mood — early evidence, but a low-risk way to reconnect with your body during loss.

Dose or use A gentle or restorative class (such as Iyengar or hatha) once or twice weekly, plus short home practice; tell the teacher you prefer a slow pace.

Key study Randomized Controlled Trial (2025, PMID 41444366): Iyengar yoga and health education interventions for prolonged grief disorder in later life: feasibility of a randomized controlled pilot trial. In 39 bereaved older adults, 10 weeks of weekly yoga was safe, well-attended, and accompanied by medium-to-large improvements in grief and depressive symptoms; the study was a small pilot, so results are preliminary.

When grief keeps you tense and on edge, ashwagandha is an adaptogen used to lower the stress response and ease anxiety and racing thoughts.

It has human evidence for reducing stress, anxiety, and cortisol, which fits the wound-up, overwhelmed feeling that often comes with acute grief.

Dose or use A standardized root extract taken daily, often in the evening; give it several weeks.

Key study Studied in trials for stress and anxiety; its use specifically for grief has not been tested.

When your mind is racing and your emotions feel raw, HT7, the 'Spirit Gate' at the wrist, is the classic Traditional Chinese Medicine point for calming anxiety and settling emotional upset.

Traditionally the go-to point for anxiety, emotional imbalance, and restlessness from overthinking; it's free, self-applied, and gentle.

Dose or use On the inner wrist crease, pinky side, press gently for 1 to 2 minutes each side while breathing slowly.

Key study Traditional acupressure point for anxiety and emotional imbalance; not confirmed in controlled clinical trials.

For an anxious, restless, on-edge feeling, standardized oral lavender (Silexan) is used to calm generalized anxiety without leaving you sedated.

This oral extract has trial support for generalized and everyday anxiety and restlessness, matching the wired feeling grief can bring, and it doesn't cause daytime grogginess.

Dose or use A standardized softgel (commonly 80 mg) taken once daily. This is the oral extract, not the topical essential oil.

Key study Standardized oral lavender has trial support for generalized anxiety; not specifically studied for grief.

If grief sits as a tight chest and anxious churn, PC6 on the inner forearm is used to calm the nervous system and ease that keyed-up, panicky feeling.

Traditionally used for anxiety, stress, and chest tightness by calming the nervous system, a good pair with HT7 for acute grief distress.

Dose or use Three finger-widths above the wrist crease, between the tendons; press gently for 1 to 2 minutes each arm, breathing slowly.

Key study Traditional acupressure point for anxiety and stress; this use is not confirmed in controlled trials (its best clinical evidence is for nausea, not grief).

If exhaustion and low mood are dragging on, it's worth checking your omega-3 intake; low EPA and DHA are linked to fatigue, mood swings, and low energy.

Low omega-3 status is associated with low mood and fatigue, so improving intake through diet or a supplement is a plausible, low-risk support.

Dose or use Eat more oily fish, or take an EPA/DHA fish-oil (or algae) supplement per label.

Key study Low omega-3 status is associated with low mood and fatigue; this is a screening prompt, not a proven grief treatment.

When grief leaves you drained and foggy with no motivation, rhodiola is an adaptogen used to ease fatigue and support mental energy under stress.

It has been studied for fatigue, burnout, and stress-related low mood, which fits the wrung-out, low-energy side of grief.

Dose or use A standardized extract taken in the morning (it can be stimulating); avoid late in the day.

Key study Studied for fatigue and stress-related low mood; not specifically tested for grief.

If your mood has been low and you've been spending more time indoors, it's worth checking your vitamin D; a shortfall is linked to low mood and fatigue and is easy to correct.

Low vitamin D is a common, correctable factor tied to low mood, so ruling it out is a sensible step when grief has kept you withdrawn.

Dose or use Ask for a blood test; supplement only to correct a confirmed low level, following your practitioner's dosing.

Key study Low vitamin D is associated with low mood and fatigue; this is a screening prompt, not a proven grief treatment.

For an anxious, restless, on-edge feeling, standardized oral lavender (Silexan) is used to calm generalized anxiety without leaving you sedated.

This oral extract has trial support for generalized and everyday anxiety and restlessness, matching the wired feeling grief can bring, and it doesn't cause daytime grogginess.

Dose or use A standardized softgel (commonly 80 mg) taken once daily. This is the oral extract, not the topical essential oil.

Key study Standardized oral lavender has trial support for generalized anxiety; not specifically studied for grief.

For nights when a restless, anxious mind keeps you awake, lemon balm is a gentle calming herb used to ease tension and improve sleep quality.

It has human evidence for reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality and latency, making it a low-risk option for grief-related restlessness at night.

Dose or use As a tea before bed, or a standardized extract per label; often paired with other calming herbs.

Key study Studied for anxiety and sleep quality; not specifically tested for grief.

Grief often wrecks sleep. This valerian-and-passionflower pairing is used to quiet a busy mind and help you fall, and stay, asleep.

The combination has trial support for insomnia and shortening the time it takes to fall asleep, which fits grief-disrupted sleep.

Dose or use Taken as a capsule or tea 30 to 60 minutes before bed.

Key study Studied in trials for insomnia and anxiety; not specifically tested for grief-related sleep problems.

For heavy, low mood, this crown-of-the-head point is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to lift the spirits and clear mental fog, and you can press it yourself, anytime.

Traditionally used to lift mood and ease mild low spirits and brain fog; it's free, self-applied, and low-risk when grief leaves you flat.

Dose or use Find the point at the crown of the head; apply gentle circular pressure for 1 to 2 minutes, breathing slowly. Repeat as needed.

Key study Traditional acupressure point for low mood and mental clarity; this use has not been confirmed in controlled clinical trials.

When grief flattens your mood, saffron is a gentle, well-tolerated option; its compound crocin appears to lift mild low mood without the harshness of stronger remedies.

It has been studied in trials for mild-to-moderate low mood and anxiety and is easy to tolerate, making it a mild starting point for grief-related sadness.

Dose or use A standardized extract taken daily (commonly around 30 mg); available as threads, powder, or capsules.

Key study Studied in clinical trials for mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety; not specifically tested for grief.

You said your mood feels low or flat. St. John's wort is the most-studied herb for mild-to-moderate low mood, working on the same serotonin pathways that grief can dampen.

It's the best-researched botanical for mild depressive symptoms, so it's a reasonable herbal option if grief has left you persistently low, though it hasn't been tested specifically for grief.

Dose or use Standardized extract, typically taken daily with food; give it several weeks. Start under a practitioner's guidance.

Key study Widely studied in clinical trials for mild-to-moderate depression; its specific use for grief has not been confirmed in controlled trials.

If your mood has been low and you've been spending more time indoors, it's worth checking your vitamin D; a shortfall is linked to low mood and fatigue and is easy to correct.

Low vitamin D is a common, correctable factor tied to low mood, so ruling it out is a sensible step when grief has kept you withdrawn.

Dose or use Ask for a blood test; supplement only to correct a confirmed low level, following your practitioner's dosing.

Key study Low vitamin D is associated with low mood and fatigue; this is a screening prompt, not a proven grief treatment.

If exhaustion and low mood are dragging on, it's worth checking your omega-3 intake; low EPA and DHA are linked to fatigue, mood swings, and low energy.

Low omega-3 status is associated with low mood and fatigue, so improving intake through diet or a supplement is a plausible, low-risk support.

Dose or use Eat more oily fish, or take an EPA/DHA fish-oil (or algae) supplement per label.

Key study Low omega-3 status is associated with low mood and fatigue; this is a screening prompt, not a proven grief treatment.

If your mood has been low and you've been spending more time indoors, it's worth checking your vitamin D; a shortfall is linked to low mood and fatigue and is easy to correct.

Low vitamin D is a common, correctable factor tied to low mood, so ruling it out is a sensible step when grief has kept you withdrawn.

Dose or use Ask for a blood test; supplement only to correct a confirmed low level, following your practitioner's dosing.

Key study Low vitamin D is associated with low mood and fatigue; this is a screening prompt, not a proven grief treatment.

When grief keeps you tense and on edge, ashwagandha is an adaptogen used to lower the stress response and ease anxiety and racing thoughts.

It has human evidence for reducing stress, anxiety, and cortisol, which fits the wound-up, overwhelmed feeling that often comes with acute grief.

Dose or use A standardized root extract taken daily, often in the evening; give it several weeks.

Key study Studied in trials for stress and anxiety; its use specifically for grief has not been tested.

For an anxious, restless, on-edge feeling, standardized oral lavender (Silexan) is used to calm generalized anxiety without leaving you sedated.

This oral extract has trial support for generalized and everyday anxiety and restlessness, matching the wired feeling grief can bring, and it doesn't cause daytime grogginess.

Dose or use A standardized softgel (commonly 80 mg) taken once daily. This is the oral extract, not the topical essential oil.

Key study Standardized oral lavender has trial support for generalized anxiety; not specifically studied for grief.

For nights when a restless, anxious mind keeps you awake, lemon balm is a gentle calming herb used to ease tension and improve sleep quality.

It has human evidence for reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality and latency, making it a low-risk option for grief-related restlessness at night.

Dose or use As a tea before bed, or a standardized extract per label; often paired with other calming herbs.

Key study Studied for anxiety and sleep quality; not specifically tested for grief.

When grief leaves you drained and foggy with no motivation, rhodiola is an adaptogen used to ease fatigue and support mental energy under stress.

It has been studied for fatigue, burnout, and stress-related low mood, which fits the wrung-out, low-energy side of grief.

Dose or use A standardized extract taken in the morning (it can be stimulating); avoid late in the day.

Key study Studied for fatigue and stress-related low mood; not specifically tested for grief.

When grief flattens your mood, saffron is a gentle, well-tolerated option; its compound crocin appears to lift mild low mood without the harshness of stronger remedies.

It has been studied in trials for mild-to-moderate low mood and anxiety and is easy to tolerate, making it a mild starting point for grief-related sadness.

Dose or use A standardized extract taken daily (commonly around 30 mg); available as threads, powder, or capsules.

Key study Studied in clinical trials for mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety; not specifically tested for grief.

You said your mood feels low or flat. St. John's wort is the most-studied herb for mild-to-moderate low mood, working on the same serotonin pathways that grief can dampen.

It's the best-researched botanical for mild depressive symptoms, so it's a reasonable herbal option if grief has left you persistently low, though it hasn't been tested specifically for grief.

Dose or use Standardized extract, typically taken daily with food; give it several weeks. Start under a practitioner's guidance.

Key study Widely studied in clinical trials for mild-to-moderate depression; its specific use for grief has not been confirmed in controlled trials.

Grief often wrecks sleep. This valerian-and-passionflower pairing is used to quiet a busy mind and help you fall, and stay, asleep.

The combination has trial support for insomnia and shortening the time it takes to fall asleep, which fits grief-disrupted sleep.

Dose or use Taken as a capsule or tea 30 to 60 minutes before bed.

Key study Studied in trials for insomnia and anxiety; not specifically tested for grief-related sleep problems.

For heavy, low mood, this crown-of-the-head point is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to lift the spirits and clear mental fog, and you can press it yourself, anytime.

Traditionally used to lift mood and ease mild low spirits and brain fog; it's free, self-applied, and low-risk when grief leaves you flat.

Dose or use Find the point at the crown of the head; apply gentle circular pressure for 1 to 2 minutes, breathing slowly. Repeat as needed.

Key study Traditional acupressure point for low mood and mental clarity; this use has not been confirmed in controlled clinical trials.

When your mind is racing and your emotions feel raw, HT7, the 'Spirit Gate' at the wrist, is the classic Traditional Chinese Medicine point for calming anxiety and settling emotional upset.

Traditionally the go-to point for anxiety, emotional imbalance, and restlessness from overthinking; it's free, self-applied, and gentle.

Dose or use On the inner wrist crease, pinky side, press gently for 1 to 2 minutes each side while breathing slowly.

Key study Traditional acupressure point for anxiety and emotional imbalance; not confirmed in controlled clinical trials.

If grief sits as a tight chest and anxious churn, PC6 on the inner forearm is used to calm the nervous system and ease that keyed-up, panicky feeling.

Traditionally used for anxiety, stress, and chest tightness by calming the nervous system, a good pair with HT7 for acute grief distress.

Dose or use Three finger-widths above the wrist crease, between the tendons; press gently for 1 to 2 minutes each arm, breathing slowly.

Key study Traditional acupressure point for anxiety and stress; this use is not confirmed in controlled trials (its best clinical evidence is for nausea, not grief).