Let's face it: We all get stressed out because of this crazy thing called life. Life can have its stressful moments. And because of these stressful moments, people may or may not know how to cope with said stress. Some people shop, some may watch TV or listen to music. If stress is not managed properly, there are likely chances that people can get sick from stress or form addictions to stimulants. In my case, I pretty much do all of the above (Hey, don't judge me! Adulting is hard, people!).
I've noticed that there's this unspoken awkwardness in society when it comes to talking about crying. Sure yeah, it's a vulnerable state that someone can be in if they're crying. However, I believe that crying should be seen as a welcome way to handling stress, no matter who you are. You can be a college student during finals, or an adult with a high pressure job: We ALL have stress in our lives. So here's five reasons why it's okay to cry out your stress occasionally.
Forces You To Evaluate What’s Stressing You Out.
And that makes me stressed, and this...
GiphyWhen you're stress crying, it just makes you think about what's really bugging you. Maybe you don't even know what's stressing you out, so by crying it out, it'll help you determine why you're stressed out in the first place.
Relieves Physical Tension In Your Body.
Maybe this is just me, but have you ever experienced pain in certain areas of your body that just won't go away? Neck and/or back pain, headaches, or (in my case this past week) tightness in your hamstrings? Well, for some reason, (I'm not a scientist here, sorry), crying can relieve physical stress. (Check out this article I found that can explain why better than I could.)
It’s true what they say: Better out than in.
This one should be a no brainer, but when you're not confronting your stress, (like I do sometimes, unfortunately), the consequences of not confronting your stress can be more severe in the long run if you don't otherwise.
Relieves Anxiety.
Quiet possibly, stress can manifest itself in the form of anxiety. Perhaps you have a big presentation that you're worried about that keeps you up at night. Perhaps that job interview that's next week is gnawing at you even though you keep on saying, "Eh, I'm sure I'll nail it." While the anxiety itself may not completely go away, by shedding a few (or many) tears, the pressing feeling of anxiety could potentially be lowered as the tears flow.
Relieves Stress.
There is no amount shopping, binge watching endless hours of Netflix, or coffee in the world that can match what crying can do for a person's stress. I will shamelessly admit that I don't like crying. It's something that I personally like to avoid since crying makes my eyes puffy, turns my face red, and I just become exhausted afterwards. Yet, every once in a while I find it great to just let the tears flow because perhaps other means of dealing of stress just don't work, or that words fail to express how you're feeling on the inside.
There shouldn't be shame in expressing yourself, so why should there be shame in crying out stress?
