Photo: DeViLtEcH / Flickr

We all have low moments from time to time and most of us deal with them by having a good cry. Letting it all out can be cleansing for the soul and will make you feel much better even if your situation has not changed. If you have a tendency to bring out the waterworks, you need not be embarrassed at all. Crying is not only emotionally uplifting, but is great for your eyes too.

The goodness of tears

Tears are a great way to lubricate the eyelids and eyeballs. Without them, we literally would not be able to see. Tears also prevent the mucous membranes from dehydrating as the act of crying is usually accompanied by a runny nose. Another reason to cry is because tears fight germs we may have picked up from various surfaces and areas. Our tears contain a substance called lysozyme which can kill 90 to 95 per cent of all bacteria in just a few minutes. They are our body’s natural antiviral and antibacterial agents.

Crying is therapeutic

The average human accumulates plenty of stress and resentment on a daily basis. This can actually gather in the limbic system of the brain as well as the heart. Crying is therapeutic in that it allows all these pent-up emotions to flow before they wreak havoc on our cardiovascular and nervous systems. Feelings are there to be felt, not bottled up inside. Stress can have physical symptoms and apart from causing anxiety, it can also physically manifest itself by causing hair loss, weight loss and skin rashes.

A good cry will also make you feel much better emotionally. We were designed to react in this way whether male or female, and a crying session is usually followed by a sense of relief and calm. Crying can also help solve our problems in that after venting our feelings we are better able to act rationally.

Tags: stress