Table of contents:
- The benefits of crying that you may not know
- 1. Relieve stress
- 2. Improve mood
- 3. Improve eyesight and protect eyes
Crying is synonymous with babies and young children, but that doesn't mean adults never cry. You must have cried, whether in the room or in the bathroom, when you were alone. Crying can be caused because of happiness or also because of sadness, anger, or irritation. Crying is very natural for all people from all walks of life. This is normal. In fact, crying also benefits you. Want to know what are the benefits of crying? Check out the following explanation.
The benefits of crying that you may not know
1. Relieve stress
Crying when you are stressed is one of the best ways to relieve stress and provide a feeling of relief. When you cry because of stress, your body is actually releasing stress hormones or toxins from the body through your dripping tears.
This has been proven in a study conducted by Dr. William H. Frey II, biochemist from St. William. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota. He found that there is a difference in the chemical composition of tears due to emotion or stress and tears due to physical irritation. Emotional tears (stress-related) contain the protein-based hormone prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and leucine enkephalin (natural painkiller). All of these are produced by the body when you are stressed.
The excretion of ACTH in the body through tears can reduce levels of the hormone cortisol (stress hormone). This is certainly good, because high levels of the hormone cortisol in the body can cause health problems related to stress.
When you are stressed, the chemicals in your body become out of balance. So, crying can help reduce these effects. Crying can help release emotions, stress, and tension from negative feelings, pressure, and frustration that have been buried deep in you all this time.
2. Improve mood
Apart from being beneficial for your physical health, crying is also beneficial for your psychological health. Crying can improve your mood for the better. Research from the University of South Florida in 2008 has proven that crying can calm you down and improve your mood for the better than any antidepressant.
If asked, did you feel better after crying? In general, everyone answered yes. However, it also depends on what reason you are crying and how the crying is handled by you. People with anxiety or mood disorders may be less likely to feel the positive effects of crying.
3. Improve eyesight and protect eyes
The tears that come out of your eye are produced by the lacrimal glands. These tears can help you clean your eyes from dust, prevent eye irritation, and keep your eyes moist. So, tears can clear your vision. Crying can also prevent the mucous membranes in the eyes from experiencing dryness or dehydration. Dryness of the eyes can make the eyes susceptible to bacterial attack.
Tears contain an antibacterial called lysozyme. This lysozyme can kill certain bacteria by destroying the bacterial cell wall. So, with the tears that always wet the area around your eyes (called basal tears), your eyes will continue to be protected from various foreign objects.
