15 Health Benefits of Crying
In the last blog post, we discussed the health benefits of smiling and laughing. In the next 2 or 3 posts, we’ll discuss the health benefits of crying. There is no opposition here. Emotions and thoughts are not black and white. They swing back and forth and in between. We are humans and life is a ‘rollercoaster ride.’ It’s important, even vital to our health, to learn how to navigate our thoughts, feelings, emotions and most important, to learn how to let ourselves ‘feel our feelings.’ As is said, “you gotta feel it to heal it.”
So yes, it’s great and helpful to smile and laugh and yes, it’s also great and helpful, at other times, to cry and let go. It’s about feeling, letting go and balance (homeostasis).
CRYING: UNIQUE TO HUMANS
Crying is a phenomenon that is unique to humans and is a natural response to a range of emotions, from deep sadness and grief to extreme happiness and joy. The question is: is crying good for your health? The short answer is yes. Crying is a mechanism that lets us release stress and emotional pain, something that it’s been quite important to do in the last 2plus years of Covid.
Crying is really a vital safety valve. Keeping feelings inside, called repressive coping by psychologists, can be bad for our health. This type of repressive coping can be linked to:
-a less resilient immune system
-cardiovascular disease
-hypertension
-mental health conditions, including stress, anxiety and depression.
3 Categories of CRYING:
Scientists divide the liquid product of crying into 3 distinct categories:
-reflex tears,
-basal tears, and
-emotional tears.
Reflex and basal tears perform the needed function of removing debris from our eyes, such as dust and smoke, and lubricating our eyes to help protect them from infection. Their content is 98% water.
Emotional tears potentially offer the most health benefits. These tears flush stress hormones and other toxins out of our systems.
Crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain.
Even popular culture has always known the value of a good cry as a way to feel better and even, to experience physical pleasure. Just watch the movies: Terms of Endearment or Titanic and you’ll understand.
Crying during COVID:
First of all, there is our collective grief, whether you’re aware of it or not, over the more than 1 million lives lost and those affected by loss, due to Covid. So, it’s not surprising that our feelings feel closer to the surface and folks are more prone to crying.
Crying in BOYS and MEN:
Many men in our culture have a society-taught dilemma about emotional expression. From early on, boys are told that ‘real men don’t cry.’ When these boys grow up, they may stuff their feelings down and deep inside and withdraw emotionally from their loved ones, or self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, or even become suicidal.
It’s really important for men to learn the skills of how to get in touch with their long-buried feelings of sadness, loss, grief and to weep openly if they need to.
Ideally, this education should begin early on, at home and at school, with adults making it safe for boys (and girls, too) to talk about difficult feelings. This is how things will change for the better, for all our kids.
PROBLEM?
Of course, there are times when crying can be a sign of a problem, particularly if it happens quite frequently and/or for no apparent reason, or when crying starts to affect your daily activities or functioning, or becomes uncontrollable.
Also, understand that people suffering from certain kinds of clinical depression may not be able to cry, even when they feel like it.
In these situations, it’s best to get the appropriate help (ie: mental health professional).
BOTTOM LINE:
It can be very challenging to handle difficult feelings, including sadness and grief (particularly if you have a trauma history). The bottom line is that you must embrace these difficult feelings. Again, “you must feel it to heal it.”
Allow yourself to cry if you feel like it. Take the time and find a safe space to cry, if you need to.
When you’re grieving, crying can be a sign of healing.
Teaching boys and men that it’s okay and even healthy, to cry, may reduce negative health risks and behaviors and help them have healthier and fuller lives.
Again, if crying becomes uncontrollable or overwhelming, go see a doctor or mental health professional.
Remember that when you let yourself cry, you’ll find that you’re able to overcome your negative feelings much more easily.
Don’t fight those tears. They’re not a sign of weakness. They’re a sign of courage and strength and they’re trying to help you!
In the next post, we’ll go into more detail about these:
15 Amazing BENEFITS of Crying:
1)It cleanses.
2)It keeps the bad stuff out.
3)It helps us get rid of stress, literally.
4)It improves and Boosts Mood.
5)It dulls pain.
6)It releases feel-good chemicals, which improve your sense of well-being.
7)It’s cathartic.
8)It brings us closer to others.
9)It helps us to cope with grief.
10)It’s a way we ask for help……..without actually asking.
11)It keeps dry eye away.
12)It helps restore our emotional balance.
13)It helps us to cope with grief.
14)It puts things into perspective.
15)After a while, it can be motivating…………
The ‘rollercoaster ride’ of life………it’s what makes it interesting and sometimes, challenging. Join me to continue these discussions about ‘feeling your feelings’!
With smiles and love,
Dr Gigi
PS: Join me @www.gigiarnaud.com, and sign up for your free guide: 3 Mindset Hacks for your Best Life (with exercises, breathing and more…), get my blog posts, too and sign up for your FREE 45 minute Clarity Call!
Spring………..everything is blossoming. It’s your turn to blossom, too! :)
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