A new study explains how crying can be therapeutic to a person.
The Huffington Post reports having a good cry is what it takes for a person to feel better. Published in the journal Motivation and Emotion, study says just letting the tears out can make a sad person feel better than what they felt, even way better than what they were feeling before something prompted them to cry.
"This is the first study that has demonstrated a clear relation between experimentally induced crying and subsequent, more long-term mood improvement," lead researcher Asmir Gračanin of Tilburg University in the Netherlands wrote.
During the study, participants watched edited versions of 2 tear-jerking films: Hachi: A Dog's Tale - a story about a faithful dog who kept waiting for his owner to come home without knowing he has been dead for years, and La Vita e Bella - a drama set in World War II about a Jewish father protecting his son inside a concentration camp.
Out of 72 participants, 69% of those who watched Hachi and 40% of those who watched La Vita e Bella shed their tears.
After comparing the questionnaires, results show that those who cried while watching the movie immediately felt more emotional, sprung back to its baseline mood before feeling sad after the next 20 minutes, and even felt better after 90 minutes.
"After the initial deterioration of mood following crying, it takes some time for the mood not only to recover but also to be lifted above the levels at which it had been before the emotional event," researchers concluded.
Further, Gracanin points out that crying regulates the blood pressure and body temperature, which makes our physical body feel more relaxed.
Gracanin suggests people should be encouraged to cry, especially in front of those who genuinely care for them.
