Crying: Weakness or an emotion?

For some people it is the sign of weakness and for others it is just a way to feel calm and relaxed. At some point of time in your life, you too must have experienced this circumstance. What if someone suddenly comes and stops you from laughing or smiling when you are happy? You must be thinking why would someone stop me from expressing my feelings or emotions? But the same thing is happening with all of us since our childhood if we see this from a different perspective. Let's find out how!

Crying is the body's way to not only reduce emotional stress, but also process it. Think of emotions as an invisible force moving through the body, people tend to think that just because they cannot see or feel their feelings, when they refuse to feel them, they simply go away. Unfortunately, that isn't true. Rather than having that flow emotional force circulating and completing it's cycle it gets stopped.

Sad to say, but our society has stigmatized the expression of sadness. Seeing anyone crying, our common reaction is to make him or her stop crying. This is absolutely opposite in the case of expression of happiness, that is smiling or laughing. In one expression, we are curbing others to express their feelings & in another we are okay if anyone smiles or laughs because of happiness. Whenever we stop someone from crying, we're actually saying, "Stop expressing your emotions through crying, it's making me uncomfortable." In fact, it is not the comfort, tears or sympathy of another person which alleviates the emotion behind crying. Most people feel a sense of relief after crying, because emotional energy doesn't gets congested in the body.

Now, in the case of crying a stereotypical issue is also involved. You all must have heard the phrase, "Stop crying, boys don't cry.. girls are too emotional." Actually this line doesn't means that girls are very emotional or emotionally weak, it actually means that girls are strong because it depicts a completely comfortable relationship with the self. Choosing to cry is choosing not to care about the stereotypical opinions of others. Since crying is so stigmatized, rising above society's thoughts is pure authenticity. This stereotype not only affects girls and women but it affects men and boys also. Studies show that holding your emotions may lead to stress and anxiety which will eventually lead you to some kind of heart problems. Expressing your emotions instead of holding them is much healthier. The more you repress them and the longer you wait to talk to someone about your problems, the less you listen to yourself and more your problems will grow and get harder to solve.

So the next time you see people crying, instead of judging, just walk up to them, sit and lend your shoulder. Listen to their story. Give them the relief they deserve.

Sometimes, Silence is a better healer than words :-)

As far as you are concerned, no, you are not weak if you cry too often. You are just a soulful human who is blessed to have the ability to get connected with things and make things alright. After release of your emotions, the kind of relief and pleasure you feel, is unattainable if you stop or hold your emotions. Don't ever think that not crying makes you look strong. 

'Observe the things that make you cry, they are those things of life with which you are deeply connected & this will help in knowing yourself better.'

~ Sanjana Shikhar