Have a Good Cry to Your Success

Dear loving people,

In your quest for success and happiness, moments do come when you’ve done all, you’ve put in your best, you’ve tried to be your best for those you love and yet things don’t work as expected, you get so frustrated you just feel like exploding in torrents of tears. Unfortunately from very young ages most of us are told not to cry. We’ve been told it’s a sign of weakness. Most African men are enculturated not to cry especially in the presence of women, you often hear parents tell their children “be a man, don’t cry” and so we effectively add up our troubles by suppressing our natural tears.

Crying is a natural body function that helps relieve stress, anxiety, and other emotional build-ups. Eileen Mayhew admonitions “Let your tears come. Let them water your soul.” You should allow yourself to cry.

Sometimes you are given no choice. Your body overrides any effort to suppress the urge to cry. When you hold back your tears, you only amplify the emotions or stress your body is trying to release through crying. “Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before—more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.” Writes Charles Dickens in Great Expectations.

A study by the University of Minnesota discovered that the chemicals that build up in your body during emotional stress can be removed in your tears, and unreleased stress can increase your risk for heart attack and damage certain areas of your brain. So your human ability to cry is not only therapeutic, but could even be considered a survival tactic. So have a good cry.

Women have more leeway than men to cry. It’s not quite fair, but it’s true. Women can usually release tears much more easily than men because it’s accepted. Men rarely consider it acceptable for themselves or other men to cry. Most men don't even consider crying an option, but they should put down that armor and allow themselves to cry. Pick a place where you won’t be disturbed, and have a good cry. After a thorough cry you will feel better. A study by the University of South Florida found that almost everyone feels better after a cry, and that personality has a major effect on how often we cry.

Sometimes crying helps to clear the mind, and may even help you think things through a little more clearly than you would if you hold those stressful emotions inside. We all know that emotional decisions tend to be riddled with difficulty.  So, you want to clear your mind in order to refocus on that big project, please create time and have a good cry.

Now! Don’t get me wrong or consider a quick-fix therapy. Crying may not be the answer to everyone’s stress. Recent research suggests however that it's highly effective at encouraging the body to heal, and it improves the mood of 88.8% of those who weep. Researchers suggest that crying is so beneficial that there may be a case for inducing crying in those who find it difficult to let go. Go on, let it out.  Have a good cry to your success.