Learn More
As humans, we cry for numerous reasons. We cry in response to pain, fear, sadness, or joy. We might cry while watching a movie, over a sentimental greeting card, or cutting onions.
Learn More
Some of us cry when we are angry. Whatever the reason, sometimes our emotions bubble up and spill over, resulting in tears.
Learn More
Crying is a common human action, and it can be triggered by many different emotions.
Reflex tears are specially designed to help fight off things that could harm your eyes. When you shed these tears, you’re actively working to keep out gunk that could cause your eyes to feel uncomfortable or even injure them. Reflex tears are our natural eye wash, flushing out irritants. So, if you happen to get dust or an allergen in your eyeball, your tears flush it out.
Shedding emotional tears can reduce your stress levels, making you feel good after. Emotional tears also have higher levels of stress hormones in them, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which means you literally get rid of stress as you cry.
Dry eye is a health condition where your body doesn’t make enough tears or the right type of tears, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). Your body can actively work to prevent dry eye by creating basal tears. Basal tears, she says, are “a natural shield” for your eyeballs.
Some research has mentioned that emotional crying soothes your intense emotional state and prevents that energy from turning into mental health problems. Crying is an expression of intense emotion and often the outward expression of an intense emotion as opposed to bottling it up inside does offer relief. This results in better mood.
Crying for long periods of time releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, otherwise known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals can help ease both physical and emotional pain. Once the endorphins are released, your body may go into somewhat of a numb stage. Oxytocin can give you a sense of calm or well-being. It’s another example of how crying is a self-soothing action.
Grieving is a process. It involves periods of sorrow, numbness, guilt, and anger. Crying is particularly important during periods of grieving. It may even help you process and accept the loss of a loved one. Crying is the expression of grief and experiencing grief allows you to process it more fully.
Crying doesn’t only happen in response to something sad. Sometimes you may cry when you are extremely happy, scared, or stressed. Researchers at Yale University believe crying in this way may help to restore emotional equilibrium. When you’re incredibly happy or scared about something and cry, it may be your body’s way to recover from experiencing such a strong emotion.
Along with helping you ease pain, crying, specifically sobbing, may even lift your spirits. When you sob, you take in many quick breaths of cool air. Breathing in cooler air can help regulate and even lower the temperature of your brain. A cool brain is more pleasurable to your body and mind than a warm brain. As a result, your mood may improve after a sobbing episode. Endorphins are chemicals produced by your brain that improve your sense of well-being.
A baby’s very first cry out of the womb is a very important cry. Babies receive their oxygen inside the womb through the umbilical cord. Once a baby is delivered, they must start breathing on their own. The first cry is what helps a baby’s lungs adapt to life in the outside world. Crying also helps babies clear out any extra fluid in the lungs, nose, and mouth. Crying has also been associated with better sleep in babies.