Crying is a natural human response to a wide range of emotions. It's normal to cry sometimes, especially at emotional events such as funerals, graduations, or retirement parties. Both men and women cry more than you may assume. Statistics show that women cry 5.3 times per month while men cry 1.3 times per month. This difference in crying occurrence is likely due to socialization and gender roles.
This article explores the many reasons people cry and its benefits, including what to do if you're concerned about how much you cry.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/GettyImages-1434959161-3a132de9190246dba53528f8b1ae0c68.jpg "11 Benefits of Crying: Why It’s Good for Your Mind and Body (1)")
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
Why Do People Cry?
People may cry for many reasons, but an underlying emotional factor is usually involved. Physically, crying helps our body relieve stress and restore emotional balance by releasing stress hormones.
Psychologically, tears can be a response to sadness, joy, frustration, and relief, providing an outlet for intense feelings that might otherwise be overwhelming. Socially, crying can also be a form of nonverbal communication, signaling to others our need for support, empathy, or comfort and helping to strengthen social bonds.
Benefits of Crying
We often feel better after we cry because crying releases emotion and stress. Science shows that crying is beneficial for the reasons below.
Has a Soothing Effect
Crying can have a soothing effect for some, but not all, people. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for promoting relaxation, digestion, and recovery. Shedding tears also releases endorphins, the body's natural pain relievers or "happy hormones," which can create a sense of calm. Additionally, crying can facilitate an emotional release, which helps us process our feelings and find emotional relief.
Helps Relieve Pain
The endorphins your body releases when you cry can help alleviate certain types of pain. The physical act of crying also activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which helps promote relaxation, reduce stress, and may help manage pain. The emotional release that comes with crying also helps to diminish feelings of distress and discomfort, contributing to overall pain relief.
Boosts Mood
Crying can release pent-up emotions and trigger the release of endorphins, allowing your mood to lift. Additionally, crying often leads to seeking and receiving social support, fostering a sense of connection and comfort that can significantly improve your mood.
Rallies Support From Others
When you see someone crying, you likely perceive this as a clear nonverbal distress signal, prompting an empathetic response. Crying typically elicits curiosity, support, and reassurance from those around you. Most people are naturally inclined to respond to tears with kindness and concern. Furthermore, crying can strengthen social bonds by allowing people to share vulnerabilities, fostering deeper connections.
Releases Hormones to Relieve Stress
Crying flushes out stress-related chemicals like cortisol through tears, helping to cleanse your body. Studies even show that emotional tears contain more stress hormones than other types of tears.
Aids in Sleep
The emotional release of crying can help reduce anxiety and stress that might otherwise make it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. Plus, the endorphins your body releases when you cry can calm your mind and help you achieve a more peaceful and uninterrupted sleep.
Fights Bacteria
Your tears contain lysozyme, an enzyme with antimicrobial properties. Lysozyme helps protect your eyes from infection by neutralizing harmful germs that come into contact with them. Furthermore, crying helps flush out debris to keep your eyes clean and healthy.
Improves Vision
Crying lubricates your eyes naturally, prevents dryness, and ensures your cornea (the dome-shaped outer layer that focuses light and acts as a protective barrier) remains moist and clear. Tears also help wash away dust, debris, and other irritants, reducing the risk of infections.
Aids Grief Recovery
Crying allows us to express and process emotions, which is essential for emotional healing after a challenging event or season. It provides a release for the intense feelings associated with grief, which can be helpful when coping with a loss and coming to terms with our emotions.
Restores Emotional Balance
As a natural outlet for pent-up emotions, crying helps release tension and stress. It can help regulate overwhelming feelings, bringing a sense of relief and clarity. Many people would describe crying as a cathartic process that allows us to process and resolve emotions and restore a sense of balance.
Helps Babies Breathe and Sleep
It can be stressful or worrisome to hear a baby cry, but crying has benefits for infants, too. It helps them breathe by clearing their airways and increasing oxygen intake, especially during distress or discomfort. The rhythmic pattern of crying can also regulate a baby's breathing. And just as for adults, crying can release tension and stress, helping babies relax and improve their sleep.
How Much Should You Cry?
There is no prescriptive advice regarding how much you should cry. The amount varies greatly from person to person and is influenced by individual differences in emotional sensitivity, coping mechanisms, and life circumstances.
Crying is a natural and healthy emotional response that serves as a release for pent-up emotions and stress. While some people may find relief in crying frequently, others may express and work through their emotions differently.
Ultimately, there's no set quota for crying. It's essential to allow yourself to experience and process emotions authentically, seeking a balance between expressing your feelings and maintaining your emotional well-being.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Crying is normal. However, if you're crying more than usual, especially if it's significantly impacting your daily life, relationships, or overall well-being, speak with a healthcare provider.
If crying episodes become overwhelming, uncontrollable, or interfere with your ability to carry out everyday tasks or responsibilities, this may indicate underlying emotional distress that could benefit from therapeutic intervention.
Furthermore, if crying is accompanied by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or despair, or if it persists despite attempts to manage it independently, reaching out to a mental health professional can be helpful.
Summary
Everybody cries sometimes. Crying is a natural and beneficial response to emotional triggers and our body's way of working through stress, calming our nervous system, and removing toxins. However, if you're crying so often that it disrupts your everyday life or causes concern, there's no shame in contacting a healthcare provider.
Seeking mental health support can help in instances in which you're carrying a lot of emotional stress and not sure how to manage it in a healthy way.
