"Crying is not a sign of weakness. From birth, it is a sign that you are alive." – Charlotte Brontë
Sometimes crying is the best solution. It's crying normal response to sadness, happiness, stress - emotions, but people who cry a lot are often perceived as weak and unable to contain their emotions. Tears are not only an expression of distress, but also have a cathartic effect. Crying is an expression of strength, because not everyone can accept their emotions and pain and express them in an appropriate way.
Neuroscientist dr. William H. Frey II, author of Crying: The Mystery of Tears and founder of the Minnesota Alzheimer's Research Center, has spent 20 years researching the impact and consequences of crying. "Crying is not only an emotional response to frustration and sadness, but also a healthy way to reduce stress, which can have negative effects on the body, such as an increased risk of heart disease and other stress-related disorders," he says.
His research showed that it was 85 percent of women and 73 percent of men feel less sad and angry after crying. Scientists have even established a time frame for when the healthiest time to cry is: it is between 19:00 and 22:00.
So why is it good to cry honestly?
1. Crying relieves stress
Prolonged stress increases the risk of heart attack and can damage some parts of the brain, accelerate digestive problems, cause headaches and migraines. Crying has a positive effect on the general state of the organism. With it, we get rid of emotional burdens and all the negative emotions that we have accumulated in ourselves. If you want to get rid of stress when you are sad, worried, etc., take a good nap.
2. Crying lowers blood pressure
It has been proven that crying lowers blood pressure and calms the heart rate. The research was conducted on individuals who were experiencing bursts of crying. When their blood pressure was measured after the therapy, it was lower and their heart rate was slower.
3. Tears remove toxins from the body
dr. Frey points out that crying reduces the amount of toxins in the body. Tears help to release the stress hormone cortisol, which accumulates in the body during times of emotional upheaval. Crying is a mental and physical release that allows people to let go of pain and live again.
4. Crying lowers manganese levels in the body
When we cry, our body's levels of manganese, a mineral that affects mood, are said to decrease. Its concentration is higher in tears than in blood. Elevated levels of manganese are also associated with anxiety and irritability.
5. Crying creates empathy
Although all mammals can shed tears, only humans are thought to cry when under emotional stress. Crying helps to recognize feelings in us, it is an expression of emotions and the inner state of an individual. Emotions motivate us to empathize with others when they find themselves in distress. Tears should not be held back, they are a completely normal reaction to emotions.
The next time you feel like crying, do yourself a favor and don't hold back the tears. Find a quiet place, a friendly shoulder to cry on, and let them go. Express yourself and let all the pain and all the problems flow away with your tears.
