So if emotionally crying is uniquely human, why do we do it? Is it just an accident of evolution or are there real benefits of crying for mental health? While plenty of research confirms the physical health benefits of tears like keeping our eyes lubricated and killing harmful bacteria, the emerging body of research on human emotional crying is starting to show that it’s just as important for our mental health. Here are some of the benefits of crying science has found so far.
Shed Stress Hormones
Studies suggest that crying might help lower stress levels by actively removing cortisol, a stress hormone, from the body through those tears. In addition to secreting cortisol through tears, the act of crying itself may also trigger a decrease in cortisol production and other stress-related hormones and substances in the body.
Release Mood-Boosting Hormones
In addition to lowering stress hormones by secreting them through tears, the act of emotional crying also seems to trigger the production of mood-boosting hormones like oxytocin and endorphins. Oxytocin produces a sense of well-being and calm while also making us feel more connected to others. Similarly, endorphins improve your sense of well-being while also boosting self-esteem and alleviating stress and anxiety.
Relieve Emotional and Physical Pain
Some research suggests that emotional crying, especially more intense crying, can trigger the release of opioids in the body. While opioids are most well known for their ability to soothe physical pain, they also serve as emotional regulators, easing emotional pain.
Signal the Need for Empathy and Comfort from Others
Crying serves an important social function, too. While you might not have the words to ask for help or comfort, seeing the tears on your face is often enough for someone to understand that you need help. If you’ve ever witnessed someone crying and felt that instinctive urge to hug them or come to their aid, you know the power that crying can have. Humans are a social species, so the feeling that we’re not alone is essential to our mental well-being.
Cool Your Brain Down
Like the rest of your body, your brain can get overheated and studies show that even small increases in brain temperature can have a negative impact on your mood. Meanwhile, crying—especially intense sobbing—stimulates blood flow to the brain and causes you to breathe harder. That blood flow and increased air flow from breathing help lower your brain temperature, which in turn, can improve mood and create a sense of relief.
Improve Sleep
Another benefit of crying for mental health is the way it can aid sleep. When you cry, the parasympathetic nervous system activates. The PNS is responsible for returning your body to homeostasis after a stressful event. That process of switching from a state of stress to a state of homeostasis makes you feel relieved, calm, and ready to rest—all of which can make it easier to go to sleep. Getting enough restful sleep is essential for your mental health. Not only does sleep deprivation cause heightened levels of stress and psychosis but improving your sleep can improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and overall psychological wellbeing.
Crying May Not Help With Depression
For all the positive effects that crying can have on a person’s mood, some research suggests that depression might come with an impaired response to crying. Specifically, while patients with depression do seem to cry more often overall, they also tend to report less mood improvement afterward than people without depression. Moreover, for patients with anhedonic depression—the inability to experience pleasure—it may be difficult to cry at all, meaning this important self-soothing behavior is unavailable to them.
Alternative Self-Soothing Strategies to Try
If you struggle with depression and find it difficult to cry or to feel relief after you cry, you still have other options. These are some other evidence-based strategies you can try to get those mood-boosting, stress-relieving benefits that come with crying:
Do deep breathing exercises. One reason that crying lowers brain temperature (and improves mood) is that it usually causes you to breathe more deeply. But you don’t have to cry to breathe deeply. Simply close your eyes, inhale while counting to five in your head, and then exhale while counting to five. These long, deep breaths can also help bring down brain temperature. Go for a walk. No, going for a walk won’t cure a mood disorder, but it will release endorphins and lower cortisol levels, so it can offer some pain relief and mood-boosting effects just like crying does. For best results, try to walk in a natural environment like a park or a tree-lined street. Watch a scary movie. This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but research shows that horror movies that actually scare you can trigger the parasympathetic nervous system after they end, creating that sense of relief you feel when the movie is over. This makes them a useful tool for people who struggle to achieve that state of calm and relaxation on their own. Try progressive muscle relaxation. Lie down somewhere comfortable, close your eyes and let your body go limp. Then, pick a part of the body (such as your left hand or right calf) and tense it as tightly as you can for five seconds while inhaling slowly. Then, release that tension completely while exhaling. Repeat with different parts of your body. End by tensing your entire body and then releasing that tension. This is an anti-anxiety technique that has been shown to alleviate pain, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep. Ask a friend to sit with you. Crying acts as a signal to others that you need comfort and empathy. But if you find it difficult to cry, you can still get that mood-boosting comfort and empathy from others by just asking directly. It might not sound like it makes a big difference. But if you’re in the depths of a depressive episode, it really helps to just have someone sitting beside you, allowing you to be depressed. Their presence is a reminder that you’re not as isolated as you might feel right now.
