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By Lisa Petsinis — Written on Jun 12, 2020
Why do I cry easily? How can I get my emotions in check? Is there a reason I'm easily overwhelmed by my emotions?
If you've ever asked yourself these questions and find yourself crying all the time at the drop of a hat, your personality might be geared toward being more emotional and letting yourself cry.
After all, it's natural for people to cry in ways that have nothing to do with emotional intelligence or emotional neglect. People cry for different reasons, especially if you lean toward being a "highly sensitive person."
Some people are sad. Some are lonely. And some cry happy tears. But if you cry easily, you may be a highly sensitive person.
Researchers believe that crying can make you feel better because they flush away chemicals built up in the body during stress. These tears are a healthy reaction to a stimulus.
You cry, it's over, and you feel better.
Some people are better at holding it all in. But, for frequent criers, tears may flow faster and more unpredictably. Sometimes, it's due to unique or temporary circumstances. Other times, crying more easily is hardwired.
Unfortunately, crying might be difficult to understand if you're not the one doing it. And if you're a frequent crier, you don't have to feel alone with your red rimmed-eyes, lump in the throat, and your box of Kleenex. Extend some compassion to yourself and others!
Here are 6 real reasons why some people cry so much more easily than others.
1. Your hormones are fluctuating.
There's a reason why more women cry more easily than men.
Blame it on the hormones! Hormone fluctuations can cause mood swings, including crying, which is a key feature of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. Similar things happen when you go through menopause. If you're wondering what's up, it could be "the change."
As always, if crying is bothering you or interfering in your relationships, check with your healthcare practitioner and see what you can do to balance things out.
2. You have irritated eyes.
If your tear ducts get blocked by debris or irritated by things like wind, steam, smoke, or chopping onions, that's a definite reason why you might tear up more than the average person.
Your eyes are just doing their thing to stay clear and lubricated. If this is why you're crying, so get out your shades, shield your eyes, and hide your tears!
3. You're exhausted.
When you don't get enough sleep, your system just can't sustain itself. Your body is focusing on key processes, not your emotional stamina, and you're going to cry more readily than when you're alert and refreshed.
Get the kids to bed an hour earlier and tuck yourself in, too. You'll be a little less emotional tomorrow.
4. You're chronically overwhelmed.
Stress — even a positive one — can wreak havoc on your emotions. And when you've been under a lot of it for an extended period, your tolerance for any further stress goes down dramatically.
You'll be much more likely to swear when you drop something, get discouraged when something goes wrong at work, or cry when you have the smallest tiff with your boyfriend (or cry during any of these situations).
Essentially, your body feels under attack. Start taking baby steps toward building your resilience.
Know when things have gotten too big, and you need to reach out for help to sort through the overwhelm so that you can feel like yourself again.
5. You're depressed.
Sometimes after a period of loss — death, end of a relationship, or even a lost job — it's normal to feel a deep sadness and a loss of control. Usually, these feelings are temporary.
After a period of reflection and self-awareness, the fog will lift and the sun will shine again.
If you're regularly crying or for no reason at all, it might be a sign of depression. You could even be recovering from a more profound trauma.
Talk to a doctor or therapist to explore other possible symptoms and rule out a medical condition or mood disorder.
6. You're a highly sensitive person.
I used to wonder if I was weird for crying during TV movies or watching the news. It turns out, I was just highly sensitive. In fact, about 20 percent of the population are highly sensitive people, according to Dr. Elaine Aron. You might be, too!
What does it mean to be a highly sensitive person? It means that you have an innate temperament trait (not a disorder!), in which you are acutely affected by your environment, and you have highly attuned senses.
If you're an HSP, you feel very deeply. You experience other people's pain as if it were your own. So, if you tear up at the mere mention of somebody's loss or when coming across an old photo, don't sweat it. Think of it as your special gift.
No matter what your reason for crying, own it. You're not weak if you cry. You're human, and you're biologically built for a certain amount of tearing up.
If you feel you're crying too much or too intensely, get help. Otherwise, keep out the tissues and cry if you need to.
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Lisa Petsinis is a certified career and life coach, and self-proclaimed highly sensitive person. Sign up for her newsletter or contact her on her website.