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For a long time now we’ve been told that a smile or laughter is good for health in general, as laughing is said to reduce stress levels and boost our immune system. But we seldom look at crying in that same light. When last did you cry?
Recently, research revealed that letting tears flow can have many health benefits. Crying could be a way of flushing negative chemicals out of the body and leave you feeling a whole lot better.
Whenever I felt pressed by life, and as it comes naturally to most women, I would cry myself to sleep at night. At times, I felt guilty for crying, thinking that it was a weak thing to do. Instead of getting up and doing something about my problems, I chose to do a ‘weak’ thing – cry! Why waste time crying? What does it do for my situation? Will things change after crying?
It is true that crying does not bring solutions to our problems, but it does put us in a better emotional space to face our problems. I don’t remember a single time that I’ve cried and didn’t feel a sense of relief. So, though tears do not bring immediate solutions, here are some of the benefits they bring:
1. Tears flush out toxins
A study performed by Dr. William H. Frey found that emotional tears, those formed in moments of stress or pain, contained more toxic by-products than tears formed by physical irritants (chopping onion for instance). So emotional tears remove toxins from our body that build up from stress.
2. Crying can make you feel better
It definitely does! This I have experienced myself. A study performed at the University of Florida found that crying is more effective than any antidepressant on the market. A good cry can improve your mood.
3. Crying lowers stress
Emotions aren’t always logical. Yes crying doesn’t do much for your situation but the sense of relief it provides, can help you understand or deal with your situation better.
“Crying is the transformation of distress into something tangible, and that the process itself helps to reduce the feeling of trauma.” – Roger Baker
4. Crying releases feelings
All throughout the day, we accumulate all sorts of feelings and conflicts even if we are not directly involved in heated debates or anything traumatic. These conflicts and resentments we accumulate in the work place and in our families have to be released at some point. So crying gives us that opportunity to confront our feelings and help us move forward in life.
As of late, not only did I discover that there are health benefits to crying, but I’ve also become more conscious of the fact that no tear goes unnoticed by God. There is so much going in the world as it is, something to make us sad every day. And in our personal lives, there is so much we could offload if we were given the chance to express everything we carry inside. Life isn’t easy for anyone, and every now and then, when all around us we see chaos, letting tears flow becomes the way to cleanse our eyes, offload a bit, and look to a hopeful future with brand new eyes.
Crying isn’t weak and is not a waste of time either. Next time you feel like crying, grab a tissue and go for that weeping session. But this time, do so having in mind that God sees your pain and He is right there with you. Let all your hurts and frustrations out to Him because He cares.
If the idea of talking to a God you don’t see is something you’re struggling to understand or perhaps you have questions about God, or maybe there is just too much going on in your life and you’d like to find peace again, click on the banner below.