You are often told to be strong, to focus on the positive, and to smile. But you do not always feel like it. There are times you just want to cry, but might be afraid of what others might think or that you are weak. But the truth is everybody cries. It is a very human thing to do. There are many reasons why you might want to cry, and sometimes you might feel like it for no apparent reason at all. Not only is it okay to do so, but there are actually a lot of good reasons not to fight those tears.

Crying can help to boost your mood. It causes endorphins to be sent through your body. These are chemicals that have a big impact on how you feel in a very positive way. So much so, that they are often called “feel good” chemicals. They help you feel happier and also help with physical pain. Shedding tears also helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This may sound complicated, but what it does is help your body digest food and to rest. This can help calm you down.

Letting out tears has surprising effects other than helping you feel better. Tears have fluids that help kill bacteria and can keep your eyes clean. Tears also help your vision and makes the things you are looking at clearer. In fact, very small tears are released every single time you blink. There is research suggesting that tears help flush bad toxins and stress hormones out of your body as well. The act of crying is a very natural thing that our body uses in many positive ways.

Despite all of this, people are usually afraid to cry in public. You may hold back tears, even when you really want to cry, because you are around classmates, strangers, or even friends. People want to appear strong and do not want to be made fun of for needing help. But as mentioned above, everybody cries. Everyone needs help at some point, and no one ever handles everything all by themselves. Crying evolved in humans as an attachment behaviour, as it helps to get support from people around us. When we cry, we know there are friends and family who will be there to support us. We also know that, when they are the ones crying, we will be there to support them.

There is no need to be ashamed of crying because it is as much a part of being human as eating and sleeping. People may act like it is a bad thing, but even those who make fun of you for it have cried at some point in their life. We are always told to be strong, but it is important to remember that crying is not a weakness. It is a human behaviour that evolved to help us cope with our emotions, improve our health, and get the support we need.

The next time you feel like crying, do not hold back those tears or pretend you do not want to cry. Give yourself a few minutes to let those tears out, and try to notice how different you feel afterwards in both your body and mind. When your friends or classmates are about to cry, let them know that it is okay to do so and that you are there to support them. Being human means lots of joys and plenty of pains. It is important to accept both sides of life and help each other through the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

Sources:

Burgess, Lana. “Eight benefits of crying: Why it’s good to shed a few tears.” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319631.php

Healthline. “9 Ways Crying May Benefit Your Health.” https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-crying