Feeling like an emotional breakdown? Understand the healing power of tears

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Crying is underrated

Priyanka Chopra recently cried over the ‘not sample size’ comment and the Internet is divided. Body-shaming discussion aside, today we are here to understand why it’s completely normal or even beneficial to cry, but we felt ashamed to do so in public. Remembered the last time you cried? Ever felt the need of an emotional breakdown and just cry it all out? (Ok confession, I did just that recently) Crying in public is perceived as a moment of weakness or vulnerability in our society, especially in countries where freedom of expression is less encouraged. Nonetheless, it’s important to understand that crying is also the key to opening into yourself, it helps us let our guards down, flushes stress hormones out of our bodies, self-sooth, ease our physical and emotional pain and even rally support from those that cared about us. 

Why Do We Cry?

It’s sad but unsurprising to see that studies have shown that if a person cry alone of in front of one supportive person (such as a close friend nearby), they will feel better. Criers can feel worse when they are with unsupportive people or with two of more people (Bylsma, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh in Journal of Research in Personality, 2011). 

Crying is a natural response to emotions such as sadness, happiness, frustration, and even joy. It is a way for our bodies to release bottled-up emotions and relieve stress. Tears contain stress hormones and other toxins that build up in our bodies, and crying helps to flush them out.

Why we shouldn’t hold our tears back

While shedding a few tears right before a zoom meeting can be inconvenient, crying can be physically, emotionally and socially beneficial. It can help to relieve tension, reduce pain, and improve mood. Below paragraphs provide more detail on why crying helps.

The Physical Benefits of Crying

According to the National Institutes of Health,
1. Crying for long periods of time releases endorphins and other feel-good chemicals (National Institutes of Health) that help ease mental and physical pain.

2. Crying also helps to lubricate and protect our eyes from dust and other irritants.
It Aids Sleep

3. Crying is found to help babies sleep better according to a small research in 2015. While I do find a deep cry tiring myself as an adult, more has to be done on whether the same sleep-enhancing effect applies to adults.

On the contrary, if you find yourself googling “how to stop crying” (apparently there are 12,100 Google searches each month on how to stop crying), it might be helpful to know that suppressing your emotions can increase the physical stress on your body impact your blood pressure, memory and self-esteem in the long-run. Suppression might also be coping mechanism to avoid reliving traumatic memories.

Mental Benefits of Sleep

Crying is also good for our mental health. It is a way to cope with difficult emotions and can help us to feel better and more relaxed. By the time we’re done crying, our parasympathetic nervous system (the rest-and-digest response, which can help you feel calmer) has often been activated. Hence, it’s evident that crying can in fact be helpful to us.

The Social Benefits of Crying

Crying can also help to improve our social connections, as it can signal to others that we need support and comfort.

Conclusion: let’s embrace crying

Though crying is not an emotional cure-it-all, it’s a natural physiological response like a yawning. It is not something to be ashamed of or hidden away, but rather, a sign that there is something triggering your emotions that is worth your attention. Crying is a natural and healthy response to emotions that can help us to feel better and improve our overall well-being. So, the next time you feel like crying, unless you are uncomfortable with its rising frequency, don’t hold back. Call your best friend out for a heart-to-heart chat or find a space-safe (like an empty meeting room) to have a small cry. Embrace the healing power of tears and let them flow.

If you’re uncomfortable with the frequency with which you’re crying, or you have noticed the crying is making you feel worse, consider reaching out to a therapist or someone you can trust. Ultimately, much like yawning might mean that you need a nap, a bit of crying could be a sign that there are some emotions that need your attention. So even if you don’t want to cry, consider leaning into your tears to figure out what’s going on.