CRYING is normal for us humans. Some of us came to this world already crying. It is already part of our nature. But as we grow up, we come to think of it as a sign of one’s weakness. Because of that, we do it less and less as years pass. We tend to cry only for a few moments like when we are too happy, or when we lose a loved one, and even when we face a big problem and feel helpless. However, there are plenty of reasons why we should cry more often. Here are seven reasons why:
1. It improves vision
The tears produced by our eyes lacrimal glands clear our vision by greasing up our eyeballs and eyelids, washing away dust and debris from the surface of the eyes and by keeping our eyes’ membranes hydrated and moistened.
2. It gets rid of toxins
It removes toxins from our body that build up courtesy of stress. Just like other exocrine processes like exhaling, urinating, and sweating, toxic substances are released from the body when we cry. Emotional crying or tears made by stress can remove chemicals that raise cortisol, the stress hormone. Chemicals like protein prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormones, and the endorphin leucine-enkephalin, which reduces pain are present when we cry out of stress so it doesn’t only mentally cleanse us but it cleanses our body too.
3. Destroys bacteria
Our tears can be our own antibacterial agent that fights germs as it has lysosomes that can kill 90 to 95 percent of all bacteria in just five to 10 minutes which is commonly associated with innate immunity, which forms the first line of defense against infections like anthrax. In the human body, it functions primarily as an antimicrobial by breaking down the carbohydrates in bacterial cell walls, the outer shell that provides a protective coating and killing the bacteria.
4. Eases stress
Crying has a self-soothing effect that activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) when we cry which helps people relax.
5. Elevates mood
A continuous sobbing consisting of quick breaths of cool air can help regulate and lower the temperature of your brain which improves your mood. Crying can also reduce the level of manganese, which can cause anxiety, nervousness, irritability, fatigue, aggression, and emotional disturbances if it exceeds normal levels.
6. Alleviates grief and helps in moving on
The most common reason why people cry is because of sadness and frustrations in life. And because of these sadness and frustrations we’ve gone through, we become better versions of ourselves, become able to stand up stronger and let go of what hurts us.
7. Improves communication
Sometimes, words aren’t enough to express how we really feel, and a tear might just convey exactly how we feel. When we cry, our emotions become transparent to anyone who sees us which helps them to understand us better.
Crying often shows a side of us that not many see. It reveals our softer and more sensitive side that we’re not comfortable sharing with others, that’s why we often feel scared and embarrassed to cry. However, we shouldn’t be afraid to cry, contrary to popular belief, crying does not make a person weak and crying is a completely normal and natural biological process that happens during extremely emotional moments which reaps various emotional and physical health benefits. So the next time you feel like crying, don’t hold it in. (Emmanuel Pacis, AdDU Intern)