When I was younger, ‘cry baby’ was my middle name because I cried about absolutely everything! From the food I wanted and didn’t get to being teased in primary school, it seems petty now but I cried over it all.

Little did I know, that it would become my coping mechanism (in the best way possible) in my adulthood.

When a baby is born, the first sign of life is crying. It means the baby is alive! So why are we brought up to think crying is a bad thing? We allow the feeling of guilt to overtake a feeling that is supposed to be life-giving and celebrated, well, I know I do.

Crying is a natural response to a range of emotions, from deep sadness, grief, and frustration to extreme happiness and joy but I enjoy crying no matter what emotion I feel. Now, I don’t cry for no apparent reason but I also don’t have to be sad or happy to cry either – they are all ‘tears of joy’ to me because of how I feel after.

In high school, I studied dramatic arts as one of my subjects. That’s where I learned about catharsis. Catharsis is the process of releasing a strong or repressed emotion. That sigh of relief you feel after you’ve had a good cry. I don’t only feel this after my tears but also while I cry. This is what goes on in my thought process:

As someone who is in tune with her emotions and is a very emotive person, it is extremely difficult for me to keep my emotions on the inside. When emotions are heightened, it’s easy to snap and react in an irrational manner and crying allows me to reflect on why I am feeling the way I do.

Processing my emotions is important to me, trying to understand why I feel the way I do so that after shedding a few tears I feel relieved. Let me tell you, this is not an easy process and I find myself questioning and overthinking a lot of the process but I also allow myself to feel what my body and emotions are feeling.

Although I enjoy crying, it’s not just for the sake of crying.

I was once told not to cry while going through a traumatic experience and I didn’t understand why. Did I still cry? Yes, I did. It didn’t change anything? No, but it did help me feel a bit more at ease after. That was my way of processing and accepting what had just happened. Reflecting on it now, I am so grateful that I am able to tap into my emotions and understand what my body might be telling me because I don’t think I would have made it far in my healing process if 1. I didn’t start therapy and 2. be self-accepting of myself as an emotive person.

Crying has been beneficial for me especially while living with anxiety because an anxious mind and heart can be very overwhelming and even more confusing.

I don’t know how else to describe it than crying calms my anxiety. I know nothing can possibly take my anxiety away completely but having a mechanism that works for me, helps. Of course, I have other coping mechanisms like gyming, walking, and meditating but sometimes nothing beats a good cry.

Many people don’t allow themselves to cry or feel their emotions, it is seen as a sign of weakness but that emotional release has many benefits. Any repressing coping mechanism could have an adverse effect on your health.

Benefits of crying

• Soothing effects – self-soothing is when you are able to regulate your own emotions, calm yourself with crying and reduce your distress
• Helps to relieve pain
• Enhances your mood
• Releases toxins and relieves stress
• Aids sleep

The reasons that bring me to tears have changed as I age. My tears have matured with me. Am I still a crybaby? 100%, yes and I am proud of it!

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