The Benefits of Crying for Sensitive Parents
When you cry, how do you feel about the fact that you are crying? You might feel relieved, upset, embarrassed, angry, or any number of other emotions! HSPs tend to be more emotionally attuned to ourselves and others, as well as more easily overwhelmed, both of which may be related to increased tearfulness. Likewise, parenthood can be intense, exhausting, and overwhelming, which can also lead to the need for a good cry. While frequent episodes of crying can be a sign of depression or overwhelm, it can also be a healthy emotional release for Highly Sensitive Parents. In fact, crying has several benefits that you may not be aware of!
If you are feeling overwhelmed, upset, or stressed, crying can provide a healthy release of those emotions. Too often, our mind and body are out of alignment. But if we are okay with laughing and smiling when we are happy, maybe we can also give ourselves permission to cry when we are upset. Sometimes, simply letting ourselves cry can be just the emotional release that we need.
Crying actually releases natural painkillers (endorphins) as well as oxytocin (aka the “cuddle hormone”), see this Harvard study for more information. As we cry, our body is literally taking steps to heal itself emotionally - pretty cool! On the flip side, repressing emotions and tears is correlated with negative health outcomes, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and a weakened immune system (again, citing “Is Crying Good For You” from Harvard’s Blog).
Crying signals to others that you need support. As parents, much of our energy is devoted to keeping our children safe, happy, and developing. Sometimes, we need others - our partner, a friend, a family member - to attend to us and give us emotional (or even practical) support. Crying sends up a little signal flare to those around us to stop what they are doing, listen to us, and respond to our needs.
I hope you feel more open to crying as an emotional release. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can even see crying as self-care - hop in the shower, take a few deep breaths, and let the tears roll. Make sure you seek social or professional support if releasing your emotions through crying leads to more intense emotions, feel overwhelmingly sad or upset, or if you are crying frequently. The above can be signs of depression, loneliness, or overwhelm, and can indicate that you’d benefit from reaching out to a therapist. If you’re in California, I may be able to support you - visit my therapy website Inner Nature Therapy for more information. If you live elsewhere, Dr. Elaine Aron’s website lists a directory of HSP-Knowledgeable therapists so that you can find one in your area.
If you don’t need mental health support, but think you could benefit from some customized support to celebrate your sensitivity and manage the day-to-day challenges of being a Highly Sensitive (HSP) or deeply feeling parent, check out the many resources - including Coaching and Courses - that I’ve created just for parents like you.
Thoughts or questions? I’d love to hear them - just drop them in the comments box below.
