We all cry—that’s a fact of life. Some of us tear up at the drop of a hat, while others are more stoic and don’t cry as often. There’s a stigma around crying; we view it as a weakness. But that’s ridiculous. We’re lucky that we’re able to cry. Crying is something unique to humans, and it’s a natural response that we shouldn’t feel so compelled to hide. Actually, crying can be beneficial to us, and there are several reasons why.
First, not all tears are the same. There are tears that help keep your eyes lubricated, while others are to clean out any irritants entering your eye. The type of tears we are most familiar with is called emotional tears, which occur when we’re feeling emotional (obviously) and have a higher content of stress hormones compared to other tears.
These emotional tears can help soothe us during our distress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing us to relax. At the same time, the system is releasing oxytocin and other endorphins, which are “feel-good” chemicals that help relieve pain (both emotional and physical) and improve your mood.
Letting your tears flow might be the best thing you can do for yourself during a stressful time. Whenever I cry, the feeling afterwards is great. It feels like I’ve shrugged off a heavy jacket and can take a deeper breath. This doesn’t mean that crying will magically solve all your problems, but it definitely makes us a little more prepared to face the situation.
By repressing your emotions, you won’t do yourself many favours. Repressive coping—where you keep the heavy, negative feelings bottled up—can have unsavoury consequences on your health. This coping mechanism can lead to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, immune system problems, or mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
Of course, if crying becomes a regular occurrence, or it starts to affect your daily life, then it’s not healthy. Uncontrollable crying might indicate other problems. The opposite is also true; if you can’t cry, even when you want to, you should also seek medical help.
It’s difficult to get rid of the stigma surrounding crying completely. But when you find yourself overwhelmed and the telltale signs of crying start, find yourself a quiet place to let it out. Don’t try to suppress it. Your body and mind will thank you.