Crying is an under-appreciated art. The number of tears you put out just to fan your eyes, sniffle, and bring yourself back to focus on the task at hand is the most astonishing part. It could be anything from “I GOT THE JOB!” tears to “WHY AM I LIKE THIS?” tears. Crying should be talked about more, but some people say it’s too “childish”.
The stigma around crying has come from worldwide sources, but the overall idea is one about vulnerability. People, especially men, believe that crying is a weak activity only made for girls. The toxic masculine culture that many men have grown up in, raised them to be ‘tough’ and not show any pitiful emotion. It’s too “feminine” because it shows that you have feelings and it only makes people feel terrible afterwards. This results in generations of men who are unable to appreciate the release both mental and physical, that comes from crying. Even though tears can be used to symbolize any emotion, men are accustomed to the falsehood that crying needs consolation and pity. Mentally, it can be a strenuous activity. But, in some instances, crying has physically healthy factors.
Here are the top 5 reasons why you should cry more.
- Crying can improve your mood.
When you cry, you relieve your body of the toxins and hormones that contribute to stress levels. These toxins undermine several bodily functions, like inhibiting the body to produce hemoglobin in the blood or displacing certain structural minerals which result in weaker bones. By letting these toxins go, you can strengthen your immune system, sleep better and avoid gaining weight. You can also lower your blood pressure, which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke in the future.
- Crying can improve your vision.
Your body requires water to stay hydrated, which keeps you going. So, when you cry (although your eyes may look puffy afterward), you are helping to rehydrate your eyes. This helps to increase your ability to focus your eyes when you have to stare at a screen for hours on end or read a particularly long lecture.
- Crying can help protect your eyes.
Every day, the world throws millions of minuscule particles of dust and dirt into your eyes. This can irritate and potentially harm your eyes, which in turn, could harm your vision. When you cry, your eyes can depose these irritants and clear your eyes. Tears also contain a powerful antibacterial chemical that helps fight infection.
- Crying can also clear your nose.
Tear ducts are connected to the inside of your nose. So, when you cry, you get the same benefit of flushing out bacteria and irritants from your nose as you do with your eyes. Of course, mucus is an ugly side effect that comes from blowing your nose but its release helps protect you from infection. By doing this, you can prevent your internal tissues from dehydration.
5. Crying strengthens your relationships with others.
Crying is an activity that makes you feel more vulnerable – there is no way around that. This is why people tend to cry alone, rather than in front of others. But, the people that do get to see you ugly-cry are given a different perspective of you. They can see that you have deep feelings just like everyone else and it helps create a more profound emotional bond between you and those around you.
So, contrary to popular belief, crying is mentally and physically healthy for you. For all the people out there, emotional, or not, keep crying. It doesn’t matter if people are watching or not, if it makes you feel better. And, that is all that matters anyway.
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