How You Can Benefit from Crying

During childhood, crying is an expected reaction to pain. Children do not know many other ways to express negative emotions. But as adults, most of us understand emotions and know how to handle them in public situations. Many adults are embarrassed to cry because they do not want to appear weak. However, crying does not deserve the bad reputation it has received. Crying can actually benefit us in many ways. To learn about three benefits of crying, continue reading this post.

Reasons You Might Need the Benefit of a Good Cry

Before I go into the benefits of crying, it is important to understand why people cry. Here are four common scenarios: grief after a loss, stressful situations, hurt feelings from bullies, and physical pain.

If you have ever lost a job or received a bad grade, you may have cried because you worked hard. If you have ever broken up with a partner or divorced after several years of marriage, you may have cried because it felt like failure. If someone bullied you at work, you may have cried because it hurt your feelings. Yes, even as an adult, it is okay to cry because of all the aforementioned scenarios.

Now on to the point of this post: What are the benefits of crying?

3 Benefits of Crying

1. Crying is a safe way to deal with stress. During stressful times, it can be tempting to give into an addiction or do something irrational. Impulsive actions from stress can have negative consequences on your job, health, self-esteem, relationships, academics, etc. They might even lead to legal issues such as hefty fines or arrests. By slowing down to let yourself breathe, you will allow your emotions to set in. When they do, you might shed a few tears or start bawling. Either one is okay. Crying is better than dealing with negative consequences of impulsive actions from stress.
2. Crying allows you to notice and solve problems. When someone asks if you are okay, you might say you are fine. For the moment, maybe you really are fine. But when you start crying, it's a clear sign that something is wrong. If you cry in front of a friend or therapist, you can get support right away. Crying by yourself might make you wonder what's wrong so you can find out how to fix it. Allow your tears to fall because they can help you notice and solve problems.
3. Crying improves your relationships. This might sound like an odd benefit, but crying can help you become closer to your loved ones. Being vulnerable takes a lot of strength and trust. Letting people see you cry (even if you do it by accident) is about as vulnerable as you can get. When your loved ones embrace you and your tears, you can rest assured that your trust is real and valid. This deeper trust can help you open up to your loved ones, which will help you connect on a deeper level.

Regardless of your age or gender, it is okay to cry. When you do, take some time to notice what your tears are telling you. They might be what you need to reduce stress, solve a problem, or improve a relationship. Can you think of any other benefits of crying? Please share in the comments.