Soul Healing: Crying Is Your Body's Fail-proof Reset Button

Your body and soul need a reset. Maybe you need to cry. I know, it sounds odd, but hear me out.

Crying is actually really good for us - not just for our emotions, but for our whole being. It's like a reset button for our soul.

Stress Piles Up

Let's start with the mental side of things. Sometimes, life just feels way too overwhelming. Everything’s piling up and you get these small annoyances in your life that make you feel like, wow, I just can’t catch a break.

Recently, a small thing bothered me. Maybe it’s not small to others, or maybe it’s actually not even small to me at all. I came home after a long day at work and got a random message from my sister that she was using my credit card. I had left it on my Amazon account and wasn’t expecting her to use it, but the fact that she was just using it instead of asking me if she could was just the last straw. It was like she had absolutely no respect for me.

That's when a good cry can work wonders. It's like your body saying, "Hey, I need to let this out." And when you do, it's a weight lifted off your shoulders.

But here's the thing that really blew my mind recently - crying isn't just good for your mental health, it's actually great for your physical health too. I stumbled upon this YouTube channel called "Goobie and Doobie", and it's run by this doctor who used to perform surgeries for people with degenerative spine problems. He recently had a video go viral about why he was quitting being a doctor. Goobie compared his surgeries to patching a leaky roof, he was temporarily fixing it, but he wasn’t truly fixing the root of the problem. He was just putting a band-aid on it.

Beyond Band-Aids: Addressing the Root Cause

How often do we put band-aids on our own problems?

We’re temporarily fixing things and delaying our stresses off for later, until we can’t handle it anymore. Just like that leaky roof, the moment comes when we need to cry and let all the water run out. It's not just about feeling sad or letting out emotions, instead, crying is acknowledging our true internal problems and letting our bodies process it.

When we cry, our bodies release stress hormones and other toxins. It's like we're literally flushing out the bad stuff. Imagine you were patching up the hole in the roof without draining all the water first. Don’t you need to drain the water, diagnose the problem, and only then, should you patch up that hole?

So cry! Let yourself go through that emotional and physical cleanse. After you feel slightly better, start to process and digest what you just went through. Now, you can make a conscious and non-clouded decision about how to carry on. Your body will thank you for it.

5 Science-Backed Strategies to heal your soul

So, I've been doing some research on ways we can take better care of ourselves, both emotionally and physically. Here are a few things I've learned:

• Crying regularly can lower blood pressure and reduce stress hormones. A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that emotional tears contain stress hormones and other toxins, which are removed from the body through crying. (Source: Frontiers in Psychology)
• Getting enough sleep is crucial for emotional regulation. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours for adults. Lack of sleep can increase stress and emotional reactivity. (Source: National Sleep Foundation)
• Regular exercise, especially hitting 10,000 steps a day, can significantly improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. A study in The Lancet Psychiatry found that physical activity is associated with lower mental health burden. (Source: The Lancet Psychiatry) It roughly translates into 100 minutes of walking, so I’ve been incorporating a 30-minute walk after each meal!
• Reducing sodium intake can help with blood pressure and overall heart health. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams a day. (Source: American Heart Association)
• Mindfulness practices like meditation can help manage stress and improve emotional well-being. A study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that mindfulness meditation programs can help reduce anxiety, depression, and pain. (Source: JAMA Internal Medicine

Even with all these tips, sometimes the best thing you can do is just let yourself have a good cry. It's giving yourself permission to feel and to be human.

Holistic Health: The Mind-Body Connection in Wellness

I remember times when I've been so stressed or upset that I felt physically ill. My stomach would be in knots, my head would ache, and I'd feel like I couldn't breathe properly. But then, when I finally let myself break down and cry, it was like a dam bursting. And afterwards?

I felt exhausted, but also... lighter. Clearer. I could think maybe 5% better. That 5% was everything to me.

That's the magic of crying. It's not just about the tears - it's about acknowledging our feelings, processing them, and letting them go. It's a form of self-care that we often overlook because we're taught to "be strong" or "keep it together." But real strength is in allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, to feel deeply, and to let it out.

Remember, taking care of your emotional health isn't just good for your soul - it's good for your whole body. So eat well, sleep enough, get moving, and yes, cry when you need to. Your body and your soul will thank you for it.

And hey, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on or just someone to talk to, I'm here. Because sometimes, the best medicine is knowing you're not alone in this crazy, beautiful, emotional journey we call life.