In principle, everyone cries at some point in their lives, so this is not unhealthy. One always has tear fluid to protect the eyes, among other things. When one starts to cry, the tear ducts overflow and tears flow down the cheeks. In this article you can read all about crying about sadness.
Who’s crying?
There is no animal that cries like humans do, for emotional reasons. As many people expect, research has also shown that women cry more often than men. Although people may think that there are more reasons to cry in poor countries, this happens more often in richer countries. A baby cries the most, because by crying the baby can also communicate to us, for example he or she indicates that he or she needs something such as a drink. Wolves also howl, but this does not resemble how humans howl, a wolf that howls adopts certain pitches in order to make contact with other wolves.
How does crying happen?
The moment one feels sad, the brain receives a signal, as it were. This signal goes through to the emotional brain, which causes tears to flow from the large lacrimal gland. In pain, the stimulation of the nerves sends a message to the brain, and crying out in pain is, as it were, a way for people to make it clear that they need help. The large tear gland is located in the upper eyelid, tears are partly collected by tear ducts that are connected to the nose, which is why people often start sniffling while crying.
Is crying healthy?
In any case, crying is not unhealthy if it is not constantly necessary. People often say that crying is a relief, but research shows that more than half of people do not feel more relieved after crying. However, never crying may have an influence on the future. If you never cry, it may well be that you keep your feelings bottled up, which can cause depression or physical complaints.
What to do while crying?
Try to breathe as calmly as possible, if you breathe restlessly you may suffer from hyperventilation. Try to stand up straight or lie down, this will ensure more relaxation in the body. People often close their eyes while crying, while it is better to leave their eyes open in this way to remain in the here and now.
People who support you
Sometimes you calm down more quickly if you can cry in front of someone else, but crying in front of others is also not a problem, it often creates extra confidence. Someone who cries usually immediately feels alone, being able to share the sadness with someone saves another worry. Although people can communicate and talk about problems later in life, crying remains a human cry for help, so to speak. So don’t be ashamed and see if you can cry with someone.
If you just don’t want to cry or want to stop crying
- walk outside for a moment
- be distracted by a funny movie, for example
- try to put things into perspective and write it down
- avoid emotional music, books or movies
- one of the best tips is to cry it out, give it some time otherwise you will definitely think about it again after distraction and have to cry again