I once read tears were like “emotional perspiration” and it really stuck with me. Biochemist William Frey spent 15 years researching tears and found that crying can lower your manganese levels. If you’re like me, you don’t know much about manganese, but I can tell you after a little digging that I learned overexposure to manganese can cause aggression, fatigue, irritability, nervousness, and anxiety. Lowering your manganese levels can increase your mood while suppressing tears can increase your stress levels.
Crying is unarguably good for the soul, and everyone does it. Despite the stigma that crying is a sign of weakness, or that boys shouldn’t cry, everyone does it. Short of hysterically crying in the grocery store because your ex just walked in with his new girlfriend, it’s overwhelmingly accepted socially to shed a tear or two anywhere you find yourself. It doesn’t matter if you’re crying because your favorite Grey’s character was killed off (WHY SHONDA!?) or because your kid just asked you for the fiftieth time if they can have a snack and you’re just sick of saying “no.” It’s okay to cry.
Here are my top 5 reasons to embrace your tears:
- Tears wash off the soul; you get to feel your feelings and then let them go. It can be a physical manifestation of pain that helps to reset your emotional meter.
- Your most important feelings make you cry: love, joy, fear …
- Crying creates community. If I see someone crying, I want to comfort them. Recently, I shared a photo of myself crying and the outpouring of love and support was humbling.
- Crying can uncloud your vision, literally and figuratively. Tears contain lysozyme which can kill 90%+ of all bacteria in 10minutes or less, which translates to healthier eyes and a renewed vision for moving forward.
- Crying forces you to look inward and confront the emotions you’ve suppressed. It’s one of the healthiest ways you can deal with your feelings and grow.
So Mommas, let it flow. Shower all the worry, pain, aggravation, and anxiety off of your soul and hopefully, you’ll feel refreshed and ready after you’ve let it out. I know I do.
