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Is crying good for you? We frequently cry, and a wide range of emotions can make us do so. Fascinatingly, humans are the only animals who cry tears, and both genders cry more often than people may think.
Crying is typical, especially if you are feeling troubled or disturbed. Men and women cry on average 1.9 times per month in the US, compared to 3.5 times for women. Humans naturally cry in response to various emotions, such as sadness, grief, excitement and frustration.
So, are there any health advantages to crying? Is crying good for you? Read on to understand how it may or may not help you.
Is crying good for you? How does it help?
When we were infants, we all wailed. However, as mature grownups, many of us frequently attempt to suppress our tears, as we believe that doing so is shameful or perceived as a show of weakness. We do that, especially when at work or in front of others.
Is crying good for you? Crying is a healthy method of lowering stress, which, if unchecked, can harm the body, including an elevated likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and other stress-related ailments. Apart from physical benefits, studies reveal that crying makes 85 per cent of women and 73 per cent of men feel less depressed and enraged.
The Japanese have also tried to answer the question: is crying good for you, as they're fervent advocates of the health advantages of expressing your emotions. There're now "crying clubs" in several Japanese cities called 'rui-katsu' (literally, 'tear-seeking'), where people congregate to have good ol' fashioned sobfests. The foundation? Crying is a fabulous habit to get into if you want to maintain your mental health, as it relieves stress.
This theory has been supported by research. Emotional tears include larger levels of stress hormones than basal (also known as lubricating) or reflex tears, according to studies on different types of tears. Moreover, emotional tears include more manganese than other types of tears, which regulates mood.
Researchers have discovered that weeping has health benefits for both body and mind, benefits that start with a baby's first scream at birth. Here are five benefits of crying:
1) Assists infant sleep
Baby crying may improve their ability to sleep at night. Forty three participants in a small study on newborn sleep utilized progressive extinction, commonly referred to as controlled crying, to get their infants to sleep. With controlled crying, parents would only intervene after a certain amount of time had passed for the baby to wail.
The newborns woke up less frequently during the night as a result of the crying, which also lengthened their slumber. A year later, the weeping didn't seem to make the babies more stressed out or have a bad effect on the parent-child relationship.
2) Tears get rid of toxins
According to research, crying really helps the body detoxify itself. Humans use tears to get rid of stress hormones like cortisol, which accumulate during emotional upheaval and can have a disastrous effect on the body.
Humans can reset their mental and physical state through crying, which serves as a physical release.
3) Tears lower manganese
Tears have much higher quantities of the mineral manganese than blood serum, which has an impact on mood and is decreased by the simple act of sobbing. Increased manganese levels have been linked to irritability, aggression and anxiety.
4) Aids in self-soothing
One of the finest coping methods may be crying. According to research, sobbing triggers the parasympathetic nervous system. PNS aids digestion and sleep for your body, but the benefits take time to materialize. Before you experience the calming effects of weeping, it might take a few minutes of crying.
Is crying good for you or self-soothing? The answer may not be applicable to everyone. In many instances, it's the only way a person may feel better.
5) Enhances vision
Every time someone blinks, basal tears are released, which keeps the eyes wet and stops the mucous membranes from drying excessively. Basal tears have a lubricating effect that improves vision, according to the National Eye Institute. These membranes can dry out and cause hazy vision.
Returning to our original question, is crying good for you? The verdict - Absolutely. Keep the aforementioned ideas in mind the next time you're struggling to hold back tears and feel overwhelmed. That can be just what you need to find a private space to unwind or a sympathetic ear to cry on.
However, crying that's excessive, uncontrollable or unmotivated may be an indication of depression. It would be wise to consult a physician if that's the case. A lot of individuals may see it as a sign of weakness or something that needs to be changed, but we hope we answered the question: is crying good for you.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
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