Crying is not a sign of emotional instability: It is a sign of strong mental health
“Elizabeth had never been more at a loss to make her feelings appear what they were not. It was necessary to laugh, when she would rather have cried.”
– Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
In this day and age, outward expressions of sadness and crying, are normally seen as a sign of weakness.
It is unreasonable that people view crying as a weakness. Because it is in truth a sign of strength.
You may or may not know this, but apart from being a sign of strength, crying is actually beneficial to your overall well-being. It is a healthy and natural reaction to sadness and anger.
Crying is an efficient way to reduce emotional stress, which, if left unattended, can have damaging effects on your physical health.
So, the next time you find yourself getting emotional in front of someone and worrying that they might see you as an insecure weakling, make sure to send those thoughts down where they came from.
Because crying does not represent weakness – it shows that you are mentally strong and healthy.
And here are the reasons why:
1. Crying aids your system in lowering stress and release repressed emotions
Holding in your feelings when you are hurt can either cause an emotional breakdown or a painful argument with a person in order to let out all your suppressed anger.
Furthermore, crying frees up repressed emotions, anxiety, and stress aiding the release of endorphins, the “happy” hormones that work as a natural painkiller and stress-reducer.
So, when you find yourself on the rough side of life, crying can help you free up your bad emotions, which in turn allows you to have a clear mind when dealing with a certain issue or pain and not be so overwhelmed by it.
2. You deal with your feelings head-on
It isn’t difficult to disregard your powerful emotions. To engage with them directly is the hard part. So, if you find yourself crying from time to time, do not let others make you believe that you are weak. Because shedding tears means that you are unafraid of engaging with your negative emotions. It shows that you allow them to roam free and that you let yourself experience them the way they truly are.
3. You deal with the challenges of life the way they should be dealt with
Shedding tears does not mean that you are ill-equipped to deal with life’s difficulties. In fact, it proves that you are strong and motivated to fight any struggle life may throw your way because you don’t try to hide from it.
4. Crying is a sign that you don’t mind what others think of you
In today’s world crying has an ugly stigma attached to it. For instance, she’s crying, that means she is unstable, insecure, a weakling, or because she’s just an attention seeker. And if he weeps, that is due to the fact that he is a wuss, and crying is not what a man should ever do. These kinds of generalizations push both men and women to repress their negative emotions, which in turn does nothing but harm their mental health in the long run.
If you find yourself crying often, however, and don’t see a problem with being seen by others, it just shows that you feel at ease with yourself. It proves that your mental health and emotional stability are more vital to you than the opinions of others.
5. Crying shows that you don’t mind exposing your inner state to the world
It takes a brave and mentally stable person to show their emotions to the world at the risk of being laughed at, judged, and entirely misunderstood. The majority of people are afraid to take such a risk. But a few, never think twice about taking it.
6. Crying helps you calm down
You don’t only cry when you are feeling down. From time to time you find yourself crying when you are overwhelmed by good news, when you are stressed, or when you are afraid.
Crying helps you calm down and restores your emotional balance.
When you feel over-excited or afraid about something and shed some tears in response, this may be your body’s way of healing from intense emotions.
Do you agree that crying is a sign of good mental health? Let us know your thoughts by joining the conversation in the comments and please share this article if you enjoyed the read.
