If we see someone cry, the first thing we say is “don’t cry” and if it’s us, the first thing that comes to mind is to hide our tears. It is frowned upon to cry, it is considered a lack of character, a weakness or cowardice, but it should not be so. Crying not only serves to show sadness, nostalgia, anguish, fear, pain, sorrow or anger, it also helps us, although it seems contradictory, to express happiness or joy. It works as a form of expression, but also of liberation, a sign of sensitivity and emotional intelligence that has great benefits: Crying is a natural reaction of the body, which helps to manage the negative emotions that overwhelm us and the positive ones that overwhelm us. . Without this release mechanism, the mind and even some organs could be affected in their functioning.
Not all tears are the same
Although all tears may look exactly the same, there are actually three kinds and each one has a different composition, depending on its function and origin. The basal ones are composed mainly of proteins and allow to keep the eyes moist with each blink. Reflex tears are triggered by external agents, such as smoke or wind. Its important mission is to protect the eyes against the irritation caused by these agents, which are very harmful to these organs. Finally, emotional tears arise as a response to various emotions and are, in essence, what we mean when we say that we are crying. They contain various elements: neuromodulators (prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormones and leucine-enkephalin) that work as natural analgesics,
Crying to be well
This is a list of some benefits of crying, on a physical and emotional level:
1. Detoxifies the body. Tears contribute to the lubrication of the eyes and protect them from infections. They also help keep them free of dust and foreign objects, such as tiny lint, and contain a fluid called lysozyme, which protects the eyes from some germs and bacteria.
2. Letting the crying flow activates the parasympathetic system, in charge of rest and digestion, thus achieving a relaxing effect. The liquid of the eyes is similar in its composition to the one secreted by the body in sweating, that is why stress is reduced considerably.
3. A study conducted in 2014 found that emotional tears release essential substances for people to feel good: oxytocin, estrogen and some natural opioids, substances that reduce physical and emotional pain, resulting in a sensation immediate calm and well-being. 4. Crying promotes an improvement in mood and causes the brain to feel cooler thanks to the extra oxygen that enters your system. It is not uncommon that after crying, we burst out laughing or crack a smile: this happens because the oxytocin and endorphins released help to improve our mood. 5. People afflicted with physical ailments or emotional problems may experience trouble sleeping. Crying, with its relaxing effect,
6. Crying turns out to be a natural calming, helping to reduce anxiety and stress. William H. Frey, a biochemist at St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota, mentions that crying removes substances generated by nervous tension, such as potassium chloride, manganese, prolactin, and adenocorticotropin. When crying, manganese levels decrease, a mineral closely related to states of anxiety, nervousness or aggressiveness and adrenaline and noradrenaline, substances secreted in more abundant amounts in situations of stress or danger.
7. Crying helps prevent gastrointestinal problems. A study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh found that people with ulcers or chronic colitis caused by stress cry less than healthy people. 8. According to research conducted at the University of South Florida, crying calms the emotions and stabilizes the breathing rate of stressed people, who regularly have a high heart rate and excessive sweating, allowing them to also improve their breathing. 9. Crying increases empathy between people. When a person sees another more or less close crying, he immediately empathizes with her and gives her support. At that moment the first idea is that this person needs help, that something bad has happened to him, feel any pain or are very distressed for some reason. Whatever the reason, her crying attracts us and we get closer. For the person who cries, their tears are a request for attention or support and constitute an elementary way of stimulating attachment.
10. Many times, crying helps to accept the mistake and see how to correct it, something essential to improve.
Knowing yourself better is one of the great benefits of crying. Tears say a lot about us and allow us to know what our weaknesses or vulnerabilities are, when we need others and what affects us to a greater or lesser extent. Crying is good for health. If we try to contain the tears, we are blocking the “emotional cleansing” that is so often necessary, so it is not appropriate to feel fear, fear or shame for expressing and unloading what we carry inside. As a very curious fact that reaffirms the importance of crying as a form of emotional discharge, since 2013 the rui-katsu has been performed in Japan, which could be translated as “looking for tears”. Basically it is the meeting of a group of people in a room. where a video is projected and after a few moments they begin to cry. The purpose is to bring out the emotions of the person, in a culture in which hiding feelings is the norm. The activity has many followers in the country. So the next time you feel like crying, don’t hold back, you may be undermining your well-being by doing so.
