Surprising Health Benefits of Letting Yourself Cry

Crying is often seen as a sign of sadness or vulnerability, but it’s actually a powerful tool your body uses to process emotion, relieve stress, and even boost your overall well-being. In fact, studies show that women cry an average of 5.3 times per month, while men cry about 1.3 times monthly, a difference largely shaped by cultural and gender norms not biology.

Whether it's from a tough day, a touching movie, or sheer exhaustion, here’s why letting yourself cry might be more beneficial than you think.

Why Do We Cry?

Crying can be triggered by a spectrum of emotions grief, joy, frustration, or relief. Emotionally, it allows for release and regulation. Socially, it signals to others that we may need comfort or connection. Biologically, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s natural “calm down” system, and releases hormones that promote a sense of relief.

11 Science-Backed Benefits of Crying

1. Soothes the Nervous System
   Crying stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body shift from a state of stress to calm. Tears also release endorphins, which are feel-good hormones that may leave you feeling more centered.

2. Relieves Pain
   Beyond emotional release, crying can physically ease discomfort. Research shows that crying triggers pain-relieving chemicals that help reduce the perception of both physical and emotional pain.

3. Elevates Mood
   While it might feel draining in the moment, a good cry can leave you feeling lighter. Emotional tears release excess stress hormones like cortisol, helping to regulate mood and even improve mental clarity.

4. Strengthens Social Bonds
   Tears are a universal signal of emotional need. When we cry in front of someone, it often elicits empathy and support deepening relationships and encouraging connection.

5. Reduces Stress Hormones
   Emotional tears contain higher levels of stress-related hormones like ACTH and cortisol. By shedding these in your tears, crying helps to flush the body of stress more efficiently.

6. Improves Sleep
   The calming effects of crying can help ease anxiety, relax the nervous system, and improve sleep quality. This is especially helpful when emotional stress interferes with bedtime.

7. Fights Bacteria and Supports Eye Health
   Tears contain lysozyme, an enzyme that kills 90–95% of bacteria in just 5–10 minutes. Crying helps clean the eyes and prevent infections by flushing out irritants and microbes.

8. Enhances Vision
   By keeping the eyes lubricated, crying helps prevent dryness and removes debris that can impair vision. This ensures the cornea remains clear and healthy.

9. Supports Grieving and Emotional Healing
   Crying is a key part of moving through grief. It helps you process loss and reduces emotional numbness, allowing for gradual recovery and emotional acceptance.

10. Restores Emotional Balance
    Think of crying as your brain's reset button. It can de-escalate emotional intensity and return you to a state of balance and perspective.

11. Benefits Infants, Too
    For babies, crying helps open the lungs, regulate breathing, and release built-up tension often improving sleep afterward. It’s one of their first self-soothing tools.

Is There Such a Thing as Crying Too Much?

Crying is highly individual. While there's no "normal" amount of crying, if it becomes excessive or starts interfering with your daily life, it could be a sign of something deeper like depression, anxiety, or unresolved emotional trauma. In those cases, it's worth speaking to a therapist or healthcare provider.

Signs You Might Want to Reach Out for Help:

• You cry daily or near-daily, even without clear cause

• Crying is interfering with your work, relationships, or sleep

• You feel hopeless or emotionally overwhelmed most days

• You can’t seem to stop crying once you start

A mental health professional can help uncover the root cause and develop strategies for managing intense emotions in a healthy way.

Bottom Line

Crying isn’t a weakness it’s part of your body’s natural emotional toolkit. From stress relief to better sleep and deeper connections, crying plays a valuable role in mental and physical health. Allowing yourself to feel and express emotion can be deeply healing.

Emotional openness is supported through community, therapy, and integrative care reflecting the country’s deep cultural appreciation for both tradition and progress. For more on emotional wellness, subscribe to our newsletter.