In childhood, boys are told that crying is a no-no. Society distinguishes sobbing as a sign of weakness. To make matters even worse, little boys carry this false belief into adulthood. While it’s frowned upon for boys to cry, it’s the opposite for girls.

In truth, crying is a natural way humans react to emotions, like sadness, hurt, anger, and excitement. Ignoring or hiding emotions only makes them worse. So, regardless of your gender, just let it out.

Soothe Emotional Pain

Once you shed tears, you’ll feel much better. That’s because of the hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline. These hormones are released to suppress stress. ¹

Boost Immunity

Those tears rolling down your cheeks are more than water. It turns out that emotional tears contain prolactin, a hormone that’s responsible for helping your immune system. Plus crying, in general, reduces stress, which if unchecked is bad for your health. ²

Call For Support

While researchers don’t understand why crying occurs, one thing is for sure: you get support. One theory for why this happens is that sobbing is viewed as a sign of vulnerability. As a result, strangers are more tempted to come to your aid. Sadly, this is how crying can be used to manipulate others. ³

Sign Of Mental Toughness

Assuming you aren’t embarrassed when crying, chances are, you’re mentally strong. Since society views sobbing negatively, it’s become the norm to hide it. The fact is what makes you so tough is that you don’t care what others think of you. You’re not afraid to express yourself.

1. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/benefits-of-crying
2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/Crying-is-good-for-your-health/articleshow/17144535.cms
3. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170310-is-having-a-cry-good-for-our-health