Has it been a while since you had a good cry?
As humans, we are able to feel a variety of emotions. With that comes the ability to cry. We can cry from extreme joy, fear or sadness. Some people cry more easily than others.
While some people may see crying as a weakness, it is in fact a great strength. Being able to confront all of your emotions is a sign of emotional strength and maturity.
Here are just a few of the myriad of reasons we all need a good cry sometimes.
1. Being vulnerable allows you to connect with people.
Being vulnerable is terrifying, but being vulnerable is one of the best ways to grow closer to someone else.
To develop any relationship requires vulnerability when we cry we allow our walls to come down, we open ourselves up to another person.
And if that person appreciates you, they will not judge you for crying, they will be there and your bond will grow instantly.
2. Honoring your feelings allows you to move forward.
It is extremely tempting to always stay safe in our lives. But when we stop taking risks then we can't expect any personal growth. It's terribly hard to put ourselves in new situations that may scare us.
We may have gotten hurt in our last relationship, but that doesn't mean that this new relationship will end up hurting us as well.
Just because it isn't easy, doesn't mean we shouldn't take action. If we end up having significant feelings left over from a former love, we have to confront those feelings without judging ourselves.
We can't just run away from every unpleasant feeling that comes our way. Feelings are temporary and will eventually pass. The sooner we can confront our past, the sooner we can move forward into a better future.
3. Our emotions drive our creativity.
As a writer, I know all too well the benefit of honoring all of my emotions.
Most creative people are driven by their emotions in their work; it's what makes the listener resonate with the song lyric. It's what makes the reader feel when reading an article.
If artists and creative souls didn't honor their emotions, their work would suffer tremendously. The most well-received articles I've written are without fail the most personal ones.
When we open ourselves up to the world, unashamed of who we are, we humanize ourselves and allow others to feel like they aren't alone in their struggle.
It's extremely difficult to find the courage to open yourself up and express yourself without worrying about how you will be perceived by others. But if you can face your feelings head on, others will be there to support you.
No matter what you may be going through, it's important to know that the feeling you are currently feeling will pass. If you need to cry, go for it, have a good long cry.
4. You can finally stop suffering.
How great would it be if we all could face our feelings without any fear or pretending that everything is OK when it clearly isn't?
Obviously the first option might come with temporary comfort, but when we pretend that our problems don't even exist, we are simply delaying the inevitable.
There is no growth that occurs when we run from our feelings. They will eventually catch up to us and we most likely won't be strong enough to deal with all of them.
That's why it's so important to feel all our feelings in the moment. When we can come to terms with our problems we learn how to handle various situations that may come our way in the future.
5. Crying is an incredible stress-reliever.
Ever had a terribly stressful day of work and found yourself in the bathroom with tears streaming down your face? We've all been there. A good cry is a necessary antidote to stress.
It allows us to release all the different emotions that come with stress. Once we've cried that last tear and dried our eyes, we are able to get back to being a productive member of society.
When we become aware of what the true reason of our tears is, we can attend to the situation and alleviate some of that stress.
6. You just feel better afterwards.
I look forward to a good cry. Why? Because I feel so much better after a good cry sesh. Science even says so. There was a study performed at the University of Florida that found that crying is more effective than any antidepressant out.
A good cry improved the mood of 88.8 percent of people, with only 8.4 percent reporting that their tears made them feel worse.
From the strength and vulnerability that comes with a good cry to the mood boosting benefits, we all deserve to have good cries more often. And we should never be afraid or ashamed for feeling our emotions, even if that leads to us sobbing in the bathroom.
So go out there and feel all the feels you can!
