Have you ever walked out of a test or an unfortunate social interaction and felt the urge to cry wash over you? Whether it was an instance of disappointment, anger, or rejection, you know the feeling: hot pools of tears begin to form in your eyes, and you think to yourself, “I’ve already embarrassed myself once. I can’t be crying in public too.” Did you “suck it up” and carry on, hoping no one saw your watery eyes? Sometimes, it’s better to suppress the urge to cry. After all, no one wants to be caught red-faced and blubbering.
On the other hand, crying is actually really healthy. We often associate it with weakness or immaturity, but it is one of our body’s brilliant pain-relief mechanisms. Think about a time when you didn’t hold it in, a time when you had a long, heavy cry. You probably felt better afterwards. Once the emotion wore off and the tears dried, you might have felt a calmness returning to your body. Did you notice your mind becoming clearer or your skin glowing a bit? That’s the magic of release at work. Crying isn’t simply a reaction to a negative emotion— it’s a method of releasing it. When you let the tears of grief or humiliation flow, your body is releasing stress hormones and toxins.
The good news gets better. In addition to rinsing out stress and toxins, crying releases oxytocin and endorphins. Oxytocin helps regulate our emotional responses and social behaviors, contributing to more trust, empathy, and effective communication in relationships. Endorphins are one of the body’s natural opioids. You feel warm and peaceful after you cry because your body is replacing the chemicals that make you feel stressed with chemicals that make you happy.
While it can be socially beneficial to save your sobs, I encourage you to tap into that emotion. That doesn’t mean breaking down during a job interview or pulling over on the side of the highway to let it out. It just means consciously acknowledging how you’re feeling and letting yourself feel it. If it needs to wait until the end of the day, you can put the feeling aside and come back to it later. The important thing is that you process it. Repressing your emotions can be bad for your heart, immune system, and mental health.
We all experience stress, rejection, and sadness. One of the best ways to overcome those feelings is to feel them fully. Dig into the emotion, experience it, and let it pass through you. Crying accomplishes just that. Your body can cleanse itself of pain, and that’s kind of amazing.
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-crying-good-for-you-2021030122020