00:02
You may have been told there’s no use crying over spilt milk,
00:04
but what if that’s wrong?
00:07
Yeah, right!
00:14
All tears are produced by the lacrimal glands,
00:16
located above each of your eyeballs.
00:18
They continuously supply the tear fluid
00:20
that’s wiped across the surface of your eye each time you blink.
00:23
Excess fluid drains through the tear ducts into the nose,
00:26
which is why you get snotty when you cry.
00:29
There are three different kinds of tears.
00:31
Number one, reflex tears.
00:32
These happen when something gets in your eye, like dust or onions.
00:36
Tears build up to flush the irritant out.
00:39
Number two, basal tears.
00:41
These tears are always there.
00:43
When your eye starts drying out, like if it’s very windy,
00:46
you’ll produce these tears to keep the cornea, the surface of the eye,
00:49
well lubricated.
00:51
And number three, emotional tears, or what we call crying.
00:54
These are caused by the limbic portion of the brain,
00:57
which controls emotion, memory and arousal.
01:00
But why do feelings make us cry?
01:02
All tears contain enzymes and proteins
01:04
but emotional tears are different.
01:06
They also contain hormones like pain-relieving endorphins,
01:10
the big daddy of pleasure-causing chemicals.
01:13
That’s why you can feel so good after a big cry.
01:18
And when we’re in high-stress situations,
01:20
crying may help to lower the levels of stress in the body
01:22
by getting rid of stress hormones,
01:24
as well as activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
01:27
That’s a system that slows your heart rate, helps you rest
01:30
and feel calmer.
01:31
According to researchers at the University of Tilburg
01:34
in the Netherlands, watching a sad film
01:37
could actually improve your mood, but only if you cry.
01:40
To test this, I’m holding the first showing of the Feel Bad Cinema Club
01:43
where we’ll be watching some tear-jerkers.
01:45
The Dutch study concluded that if a participant cried during the film,
01:49
they were first left feeling depressed,
01:51
but 90 minutes later they reported that they were in a better mood
01:53
than before they watched the film.
01:57
I feel relaxed and calm.
02:00
Tears were rolling down the cheeks.
02:01
It was uplifting. I felt like I’d had a good release.
02:04
I feel like I should have cried but also I didn’t.
02:07
Once I’m over it being said, I feel better, I think.
02:11
So if you cry, it can leave you calmer and in a better mood
02:13
than before, but what about when we cry around other people?
02:16
Does it just make them uncomfortable?
02:19
Humans are social animals and tears act as messages between us.
02:22
When someone cries, it’s easier to tell how they’re feeling.
02:27
For example, babies cry to let us know something’s wrong.
02:30
And in adults, tears emphasise how strongly we feel
02:33
about whatever is making us cry.
02:35
Tears can build relationships too. Helping someone when they’re crying
02:39
can break down barriers and bond us more closely.
02:41
On the other hand, if someone felt embarrassed or alone while crying,
02:44
they’re more likely to say that the tears made them feel worse.
02:47
People who had support from friends and family when they cried
02:50
often say they feel better afterwards.
02:52
The same is true when people feel they gained valuable insight
02:54
from shedding tears.
02:56
Crying can be a great healer, stress reliever
02:58
and even good for bonding with friends if you do it right.
03:01
So, if you want to have a good cry, don’t hold back.
◊♦◊
Have you read the original anthology that was the catalyst for The Good Men Project? Buy here: The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood
◊♦◊
Talk to you soon.
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want to join our calls on a regular basis, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all-access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class, and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group, and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
The post Crying Can Make You Feel Better appeared first on The Good Men Project.