Day #20: Crying 100 Days Gratitude Challenge

Day #20: Crying
100 Days Gratitude Challenge
Yesterday we discussed how a good belly laugh has so many health benefits. Surprisingly a good cry also carries similar or more benefits. Do you permit yourself to cry? Then you are lucky. Some people lock it in and put up a brave face to the world that they become a prisoner of that face. The stiff upper lip, the strong-as-nails lady, the stoic manager, the heartless boss, etc are typical examples of people who have locked away their sentiments and go only by data and facts and refuse to yield to even the tiny teardrop from moistening their meticulously maintained lashes.
Are you a prisoner of your image or do you resonate with your heart and soul so you can react as per the merits of the moment? When we live in the moment and resonate with our fellow beings then the occasional teardrops are bound to well up and flow down your cheeks. You need not feel ashamed of this since there are numerous health benefits associated with this event.
Here’s a small list of some of the benefits:
1. Releases toxins
Crying does not only mentally cleanse us, it can cleanse our body too. Tears that are produced by stress help the body get rid of chemicals that raise cortisol, the stress hormone.
2. Kills bacteria
Tears contain the fluid lysozyme — also found in human milk, semen, mucus, and saliva — that can kill 90 to 95 percent of all bacteria in just five to 10 minutes.
3. Improves vision
Tears can actually clear up our vision by lubricating the eyeballs and eyelids.
4. Improves your mood
Crying can be self-soothing and elevate mood better than any antidepressant
5. Relieves stress
A good cry can provide a feeling of relief, even if our circumstances still remain the same. Crying is known to release stress hormones or toxins from the body, and as a result, reduces tension.
6. Boosts communication
Crying can show what words cannot express, especially in a relationship. It helps cover the emotional aspects of the conversation that words cannot fully cover.


A good cry can heal you both physically and psychologically and improve your relationships with yourself and your loved ones.  Crying can quell a fight, emphasize a point not gotten across in words, or simply underscore the importance of the feelings behind the conversation.
I become teary-eyed several times a week. Some movies bring it on. Certain conversations that touch me deeply could bring it on. Certain passages from books can bring it on. I’m comfortable with it and accept it. The only time I exercise restraint is in public before the teardrops turn into Niagara Falls.

I’m grateful for the ability to accept my tears as much as I accept my laughter.

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