According to mainstream society, crying is a weakness and a sign of instability, both for women and men. That is just not true. Crying is a great way to let out pent-up emotions and should happen as often as needed. It is essentially a healthy way to release all the emotions dragging you down.

Contrary to what you may be told, crying is good for you and makes you stronger. Compare how you feel after a good crying session to how you felt before. There is a difference and once you've released the negativity, you feel lighter and better about facing life. Thus, you feel stronger.

However, it is not suggested that you use crying as your only coping mechanism - that's not healthy. Crying should be about the release, not your go-to reaction to life's difficulties.

Let's discuss why crying makes you stronger.

You Face Your Emotions

Rather than pretending that you're not sad or depressed, crying is a way of directly facing how you feel. It expresses all the hurt inside you and is actually a very pure human reaction. Facing how you truly feel takes bravery few realize. By crying, you acknowledge that something is wrong or makes you unhappy. Your tears should flow with pride - you're dealing with your obstacles, even if you're not solving your problems just yet. You're not keeping your emotions bottled up, making them turn into poison inside you.

You Learn Not To Care What Others Think

If you're freely crying, you're not allowing other people's opinions stop you from doing what is necessary for you. It is a show of emotions that many people don't have the courage to take part in. By doing what many people look down on, you're learning that it doesn't matter what they think. What matters is that you feel better for having a good cry once in a while.

Crying Helps To Release Stress

In the same way that being intimate with someone releases stress, so does crying. Of course, the science and emotions behind it differ, but the result is the same: less stress. Crying helps by getting rid of negative emotions and calling forth more positive ones. You don't always feel the positivity immediately, but it does happen.

When you cry, you can't ignore your feelings and by trying to deal with them in this way, you're helping yourself get rid of some stress. Crying causes reflection of what is going on in your life, making you better at dealing with everything.

Tears Improve How You Feel

If you never let out your emotions, you'll get stuck in a negative and dark space. Keeping everything inside is very unhealthy. In contrast, tears make you feel better, not only mentally, but physically as well. A healthy mind leads to a healthy body, after all. A happier person heals quicker, so getting all the bad feelings out is a good thing for your body as well. Think of tears as your body's way of ridding itself of unseen but obviously felt emotional toxins.

You Can Help Others Express Themselves Too

Thanks to the ugly stigmas attached to crying, many adults have trouble with having a good cry. If you show them it's okay to cry sometimes, you could help others deal with their emotions as well. You can give people a safe zone free of judgment where they can get rid of their own negative feelings.

By being the kind of person who lets them freely express their emotions, you are also becoming a valued friend. And seriously, in these times we all need good friends who help us be better at life.