Were you taught that brave people don't cry? Many people who were raised to hold it all inside have a lot of trouble expressing emotions as adults. But crying is a necessary part of life that actually fosters good mental health. Crying can be an expression of sadness, pain, fear, joy, or just pure emotion, and it's a natural, healthy way to let those emotions run through our bodies.  Men tend to have more trouble letting it all out than women do, primarily because men are taught to keep their emotions to themselves. But crying is just as natural for men as it is for women, even if they do it less often. Girls and boys cry the about the same amount until they reach age 12. When they become adults, men cry 7 times a year on average, while women cry 47 times a year.  Crying is in no way a sign of weakness. It's an expression of emotion that has nothing to do with decision making. You can still take brave actions, even if you cry in anticipation. In fact, crying could help you process the emotions you're feeling and think more clearly about what's ahead. Crying is not for babies, contrary to what you might have heard. Children are more likely to cry because they have not yet internalized the idea that there's something wrong with it. But the need to cry does not go away when you grow up. Crying is a way that humans release emotional tension. It's a natural bodily function that happens as a result of emotions building up and needing to be let out. Interestingly, humans are the only mammals that produce tears as a way to express emotion. Crying is a survival mechanism that helps us in the following ways:  It relieves stress and lowers blood pressure. Over time intense stress and high blood pressure can lead to severe medical problems, and crying helps to mitigate these issues. It's a way to remove toxins that build up when you're upset. Certain chemicals build up in your system when you're stressed, and crying helps to expel them through tears - especially emotional tears, as opposed to tears formed as a result of irritation.  It boosts your mood immediately afterward. This isn't just in people's heads - it's a scientific fact. When you cry, your level of manganese gets lower. The buildup of manganese leads to stress and anxiety, so crying is nature's way of easing emotional pain. Now that you know all the good things that come about when you cry, think about what might be stopping your own tears from flowing. If it has been a long time since you've been able to cry, you may need to make a conscious effort to get to the point where you can release your emotions through tears.  Do you harbor negative thoughts about crying? If so, try to change your views and see that there's nothing wrong with crying - it's good for you. Do you have trouble expressing feelings in general? Allowing yourself to cry will be a good start for you. Being able to process emotions in this way will help you be more emotional in general. When you push your feelings down and keep yourself from crying, those feelings don't go away. You may feel either angry or numb. Letting yourself cry is a way to take better care of yourself. It's a way to honor your feelings instead of denying them and pushing them down. When you cry, you're allowing yourself to be you. Giving yourself this emotional freedom will have a positive effect on your mental health.  If you're struggling to allow yourself to express emotion, imagine yourself as a child. Think about how you were free to be yourself then, crying when you felt sad that a fun day had to end, or when you fell off your bike and scraped your knees. The events that make you cry as an adult will be different from those that made you burst into tears as a child, but you can still try to recapture that sense of emotional freedom. It might also help to think about how you treat others when they cry. Do you tell them to stop, to hold it in? When your best friend feels overcome and starts crying, you probably give them a hug and encourage them to let it all out. Treating yourself with the same kindness, rather than self-censuring, could help you feel comfortable enough to cry.
انسَ كل ما تعلمته عن البكاء. اعرف فوائد البكاء. اعرف لماذا تكبت مشاعرك. اسمح لنفسك بالبكاء.