Crying isn’t so bad after all

Have you ever felt better after a good cry? There may be some new evidence as to why. According to a study published recently in the journal Emotion, crying actually may serve a physiologic purpose. Long story short, researchers at the University of Queensland recruited 197 female undergraduate students to watch sad videos. Non-criers showed elevated breathing rates while criers maintained their initial breathing rates, which suggests that crying may help regulate arousal and serve as an emotional release. Also, right before crying, participants experienced a decrease in their heart rates. Beyond these findings, tears can kill bacteria, lower stress hormones and elevate your mood, remove toxic byproducts from your system, and help you see better. Crying is also a way of communicating when you may not have the words. So, the next time someone gives you a hard time for crying, tell them you are actually doing your body good.

Source: Forbes