What do you think Ronda Rousey, the $6.5 million per year UFC champion, does before a fight? Crush doors with her bare hands? Maybe punch through some windows?
No, actually. In Rousey’s own words:
“When I’m about to fight, I’m the most emotional. Like my last fight, I like totally cried the day before that.”
Surprised? Don’t be. From President Obama to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, some of history’s toughest people have openly cried – often in public. And why wouldn’t they? According to psychologists, crying is actually a sign of mental strength.
Let’s take a look at a few reasons, shall we?
HERE ARE SEVEN REASONS WHY IT IS PERFECTLY OKAY TO CRY:
1. TEARS HELP YOU LET GO AND MOVE ON.
There’s a reason you feel better after crying, psychiatrist Emily Steinberg, MD says. The sympathetic nervous system is activated beforehand. When you cry, your heart rate and breathing slow down, your digestion resume and your body relax. If we do not let our tears flow, the feelings that led to them also have a way of getting stuck inside of us. And when we do not feel our feelings, we do not learn from them and do not move on.
2. TEARS HAVE NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS.
Tears are not just rivers of water that come from the eyes of a person who is suffering. It also comes out for health reasons. Tears release stress hormones, crying can actually help your immune system, says Steinberg. Tears even contain natural pain relievers, relaxation aids and bonding hormones that are not in the moisture of your eyes.
3. TEARS HELP RELEASE HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS.
In the world of architecture, strength is about much more than hardiness. A good, sturdy structure relieves stress effectively before it becomes destructive. A strong person is no different. For many people, crying helps release high levels of stress, that could easily cause damaging if not handled properly. Think of it as a nifty ‘design feature.’
4. TEARS SHOW VULNERABILITY
Many people feel pressure to project a perfect image of themselves, someone who can handle any situation and never gets upset. But that’s not actually the kind of person people want to be friends with, date, or work with. People are attracted to people they can relate to, who are humble enough to admit they’re not always picture-perfect.
The vulnerability isn’t just attractive — it’s also adaptive. One possible reason crying evolved is so that people know to help us when we’re in trouble.
5. TEARS HELP SOMEONE WHO IS DEPRESSED FEEL BETTER.
Tears are great helpers for depression. Crying can be an excellent emotional and mental health regulator. Just the act of it helps to balance the highs and the lows and bring all of that to a happy medium. It’s not wrong for a depressed person to shed tears. It can actually be useful for their current state. Many people can return to their activities and function better once they take a few minutes to shed those tears.
6. TEARS HELP PROCESS GRIEF AND LOSS.
“To weep is to make less the depth of grief.” – William Shakespeare
Crying is a sign that a person is treating their grief correctly. It is natural for someone to be upset after losing a loved one, ending a relationship, or experiencing some type of different emotional pain. No one should ever have to hold back their tears because this would halt their healing process and may even be harmful.
7. TEARS HELP YOU FEEL WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL.
Have you ever cried because you did not know what to do or how to feel? Sometimes life becomes too much. It is difficult to stay calm if the next step is unclear and the thought of figuring it out is a bit overwhelming. A good cry could only be the ticket. It relieves stress, makes us feel better and can foster creative thinking.
After feeling the release crying brings, it’s common to experience more energy and new ideas about how to tackle the challenges we face.
We already mention that tears can make acquaintances feel uncomfortable but by not crying you can suppress your feelings to a point where you might not be able to recognize them in the future.
So go ahead and cry freely and with pride, knowing you are doing what is right and natural to promote your own physical and mental well-being.
Sources: bustle.com, http://oddmenot.com