The Importance of Tears
As caregivers, it is especially important not to suppress our feelings. The caregiving journey, while very rewarding, can be equally filled with sadness, frustration, and grief. Shedding tears is a natural and healthy response to those emotions.
Tears benefit people in numerous ways, including helping to detoxify the body. Emotional tears, especially, have several health benefits.
The body’s response
Tears help the body shed stress hormones and other toxins, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows the heart and breathing rates and lowers blood pressure. This system helps a person’s body rest and digest. It takes several minutes of crying before a person feels the soothing effects of tears. Crying also released so-called “feel-good” chemicals known as oxytocin and endogenous opioids (endorphins), which help ease both physical and emotional pain. Once the endorphins are released, a person’s body may go into somewhat of a numb stage. Oxytocin can also give provide a sense of calm or well-being.
The emotional response
Crying, specifically sobbing, may even lift a person’s spirits. When a person sobs, they take in many quick breaths of cooling air. Breathing air can help regulate and even lower the temperature of the brain. A cool brain is more pleasurable to your body and mind than a warm brain. As a result, your mood may improve after sobbing. Grieving is a process that involves periods of sorrow, numbness, and anger, in addition to many other feelings. Crying is thought to help process and accept the death of a loved one or help cope with a difficult situation. It helps the body recover from experiencing a strong emotion, helping to restore emotional equilibrium.
So don’t hold back those tears. They are a necessary part of the emotional healing process.
When tears signal something else
When we find ourselves crying frequently and/or for no apparent reason, or when crying begins to negatively impact our daily activities or becomes uncontrollable, it may be a signal to seek help. There are also times when a person is not able to cry, even when they feel like it. All of these situations are signals of a potential problem. It’s important to talk to your health care provider or consider talking to a mental health professional to help process these emotions.
This content made possible through the contributions of Jen Paranhos, LCSW
Adapted from:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-crying-good-for-you-2021030122020
https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-crying#sleep-in-babies
