Did you Know there is a Healthy Way to Cry?

I used to rarely cry. In fact, I remember sometimes thinking maybe it was strange how rarely I cried. Now I cry easily. I have had a lot of practice in the past 4 years. There was a period of time that I was always so close to my crying threshold that I would cry anytime asked me "How are you?" Now I don’t cry quite so easily, but still pretty easily. And I am ok with that.

I have learned that there is a healthy way to cry. A way that allows the stress to move through you and be released rather than stay trapped in your body. The way to do that is to be present while you are crying (isn’t that the answer to most everything?). You need to feel the heaves, the hot tears, and the tension release WITHOUT continuing to feed your mind sad thoughts. That is the key. Come out of your head and into your body and be with the crying.

If you continue to feed your mind sad thoughts about whatever you are crying about then the crying isn’t cathartic. The feelings stay inside of you. Because more thoughts create more feelings and you aren’t able to release them.

So next time you cry, try to be in your body rather than up in your head. Experience a good cry. It likely won’t last more than 20 minutes. Maybe only a few. And then you can carry on, a little lighter.

~ Carla

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