Why you should have a cry
The awesome coping strategy that can help you feel better.
Have you ever noticed that when a child falls over, they sometimes pause before deciding whether they’re going to burst into tears.
Well, adults can have those moments too.
Society encourages us to put on a brave face, to not show that we’re hurting. We’re praised if we can pick ourselves up and simply get on with life.
But allowing ourselves to feel the disappointment, hurt, frustration and pain that is part of life is important. It does not mean you are ungrateful for all the other good things in your life. It is possible to hold both sadness and gratitude - and many other feelings - all at once.
By accepting and experiencing all of your feelings you can actually prevent emotions building up or simmering below the surface then boiling over. If doing that means shedding some tears, well sometimes that’s the best thing you can do.
When we tell people not to cry, a common instruction to boys and young men, we deny them the opportunity to express these very natural and human emotions.
This can result in these young men becoming disconnected from their feelings. In the long term, it can impact their mental wellbeing and their ability to have honest and open relationships as adults.
Crying is not a sign of weakness.
It’s actually an awesome coping strategy. Crying sends a message to the brain to relax, so we generally feel calmer after we’ve had a good cry. Research also tells us that when we cry our brain releases ‘feel good’ chemicals like oxytocin and endorphins which can help lift our spirits.
As an added bonus, we also seem to sleep better after we’ve cried.
All in all, crying it out is an excellent way to cope with a stressful or overwhelming situation.
