Salt Water Heals - The Beautiful Benefit of Our Tears
Isak Dinesen said, “The cure for anything is salt water—sweat, tears, or the sea.”
We saw the benefits of sweating for our physical and mental wellbeing. Today we’ll discuss the many benefits of tears, and what to do if you have trouble crying.
There are three types of tears.
Think about when you were outside on a windy day and a speck fly into your eye. Your eyes suddenly tear up. This is called Reflex Tears.
Have you seen the commercials for dry eyes? Our eyes need to stay lubricated to protect from infections. This is called Continuous Tears.
I don’t know about you, but I cry at funerals. Crying is called Emotional Tears. This is our focus today.
Although our tears are mostly made up of water, salt ions, salt water, and other chemicals are in the mix. Most of us don’t like to cry. It’s exhausting. We look awful when we cry and we feel weak. I get it. But have a good cry anyway. It’s healing.
What happens when we cry, or don’t cry?
In light of the many benefits of crying, what happens when we have trouble shedding tears?
What happens if you have trouble crying?
Sometimes we are so emotionally disconnected or we’ve repressed our emotions to keep ourselves safe. We can’t cry.
If you have difficulty crying, but want to, here are suggestions in helping yourself to cry:
#1- Awareness is the first step. You know the benefits of crying and you are aware you can’t cry when needed.
#2- Reconnect with your emotions. Start using emotional language in a safe environment. You can do this by:
Journaling your feelings.
Speak with trusted friends and families about your feelings.
Use “I feel” statements.
#3- Explore the reasons you are emotionally numb or disconnected.
We recommend seeing a therapist to explore the reasons you are disconnected and emotionally numb.
Disconnection or numbing often comes from a traumatic experience. (Note: Several of our therapists work with trauma.)
Talk with trusted friends and family to help process negative experiences. Being able to speak the words help release emotions.
Not ready to talk?
Try these suggestions to help stir your emotions:
Break a sweat through intense and vigorous workouts. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Listen to music that evokes emotions.
Watch a sad movie. Allow the emotions you feel to surface.
Read a sad book. Put yourself in the characters’ shoes and to allow your emotions to be moved.
Remember, crying is healthy. The salt water in our tears help us. Tears help our emotional health, boost emotional intelligence, and increase healthy attachments and coping abilities.
It’s good to not hold back tears.
Have a good cry and enjoy the benefits.
Written by Cindy Picht, LPC, CEO
About Cindy:
Cindy is director and co-founder of Light the Way Counseling. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional. She combines her skills with compassion and encouragement to help people find hope and healing.