Well in Ghana it is said that men don’t cry but honestly it is important to cry.
Crying is a common human action, and it can be triggered by many different emotions.
But why do humans cry?
Researchers have found that crying can benefit both your body and your mind, and these benefits begin at birth with a baby’s first cry.
- Crying Detoxifies the body
Tears are in three different types, reflex tears, continuous tears and emotional tears.
Reflex tears clear debris, like smoke and dust, from your eyes. Continuous tears lubricate your eyes and help protect them from infection. Emotional tears may have many health benefits. Whereas continuous tears contain 98 per cent water, emotional tears contain stress hormones and other toxins.
- Helps Self- Soothe
Crying may be one of your best mechanisms to self-soothe. Research has found that crying activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). The PNS helps your body rest and digest. The benefits aren’t immediate, however. It may take several minutes of shedding tears before you feel the soothing effects of crying.
- Dulls- pain
Crying for long periods releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, otherwise known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals can help ease both physical and emotional pain. Once the endorphins are released, your body may go into somewhat of a numb stage. Oxytocin can give you a sense of calm or well-being. It’s another example of how crying is a self-soothing action.
- Improves mood
Along with helping you ease pain, crying, specifically sobbing, may lift your spirits. When you sob, you take in many quick breaths of cool air. Breathing in cooler air can help regulate and even lower the temperature of your brain. A cool brain is more pleasurable to your body and mind than a warm brain. As a result, your mood may improve after a sobbing episode.
- Rallies Support
If you’re feeling down, crying is a way to let those around you know you need support. This is known as an interpersonal benefit. From the time you were a baby, crying has been an attachment behaviour. Its function is in many ways to obtain comfort and care from others. In other words, it helps to build up your social support network when the going gets tough.
- Helps your recovery from brief
Grieving is a process. It involves periods of sorrow, numbness, guilt, and anger. Crying is particularly important during periods of grieving. It may even help you process and accept the loss of a loved one.
Everyone goes through the grieving process in different ways.
- Restores emotional balance
Crying doesn’t only happen in response to something sad. Sometimes you may cry when you are extremely happy, scared, or stressed. Researchers at Yale University believe crying in this way may help to restore emotional equilibrium. When you’re incredibly happy or scared about something and cry, it may be your body’s way to recover from experiencing such a strong emotion.
- Helps baby breath
A baby’s very first cry out of the womb is very important. Babies receive their oxygen inside the womb through the umbilical cord. Once a baby is delivered, they must start breathing on their own. The first cry is what helps a baby’s lungs adapt to life in the outside world. Crying also helps babies clear out any extra fluid in the lungs, nose, and mouth.
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