Alice thinks about crying and letting it all out
Crying is often seen as a sign of vulnerability or weakness, when in fact, crying is a completely natural physical response to our emotions.
Unfortunately, many people can feel uncomfortable expressing sadness, due to the stigma around this ‘negative’ emotion. In society, we are continuously being influenced that feeling sad is bad. We might worry how people will react to us if we cry or feel vulnerable that we have shown our authentic feelings. We may worry that people will see us an incompetent or not mentally strong.
When we hold back our tears, we are obstructing the constant flow of emotions through our bodies. As we cannot see these emotions, we may think that by ignoring them, they will go away. Unfortunately, this causes a block, and we may end up feeling stuck in a bad mood or eventually, feel depressed or helpless.
Crying is the body’s way of processing and reducing emotional distress. It is normal and ok to cry. In fact, crying has many physical benefits such as the release of oxytocin and endorphins, which relieve pain. Additionally, crying activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us to feel relaxed. Letting out our tears means we can relinquish control for a moment and take a sigh of relief.
If you feel like crying could benefit you but it feels difficult, you could consider counselling. It may be that you feel unable to handle the emotions that are coming up for you, and counselling can equip you with the right tools to feel able to do so. If it feels difficult, find somewhere private and comfortable. You may feel more able to cry in a place that feels safe and familiar. If you need support, ask someone close to you to sit with you or arrange a call with a friend after.
Crying is a sign of strength and can help us feel connected to others. Crying means that we are connecting to our emotions and that we are processing difficult and sometimes uncomfortable things – this demonstrates a great deal of resilience.
Source: https://enlightenedsolutions.com/crying-is-a-sign-of-strength-not-weakness/
