There is nothing wrong with crying over stress, frustration, heartache, or loss. It is much healthier for you to shed a few tears than for you to put up emotional barriers. Give yourself permission to get in touch with your emotions because there are plenty of health benefits of crying.

Here are the benefits of crying.

1. Crying relieves our stress. Tears produced by stress actually force our bodies to rid themselves of chemicals that raise cortisol, which is the stress hormone. This reduces tension from the body. Crying also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us relax.

2. Crying improves our mood. Crying is self-soothing. It helps us regulate our own emotions. When we force ourselves not to cry and ignore the way we have been feeling, it can lead to headaches and high blood pressure. Crying is a way to release negative feelings that have built up in a healthy way.

3. Crying reduces toxins. Toxic substances are released from the body along with our tears. Just like sweating, exhaling, and urinating, crying gets rid of substances that should not be present within our body. It also encourages us to clear our nasal passage.

4. Crying kills bacteria. Tears contain lysozyme, which is capable of killing 90 to 95 percent of all harmful bacteria in just five to ten minutes. That means crying is not only good for our emotional health — but also for our physical health.

5. Crying reduces pain. Crying releases oxytocin and endorphins which make us feel better both emotionally and physically. Instead of acting like we are fine when we suffer from an injury, it actually benefits us to cry because it could raise our pain tolerance.

6. Crying improves vision. Tears lubricate our eyeballs and eyelids. When we cry, the tears help wash away dust and debris. It also prevents dehydration which can cause blurriness.

7. Crying helps us sleep better. Since shedding tears causes us to relax, it puts us in a more peaceful state of mind, making it easier for us to fall asleep and stay asleep.

8. Crying demonstrates strength in character. When we cry, we are confronting our emotions instead of hiding from them. We are growing as a person. We are becoming more emotionally mature.

9. Crying helps the grieving process. It is a step toward recovery. By hiding our feelings, we will have a hard time receiving closure. The more we allow ourselves to feel, the better we will feel in the long run. It gives us a chance to move forward instead of staying stuck in the past.

10. Crying boosts communication. There are interpersonal, social benefits to crying. When we are struggling to explain the way we are feeling, crying can help emphasize the strength of our feelings about a subject. It can get across a point that we are unable to make with words.

11. Crying increases intimacy. Crying can bring us closer to another person because if we are comfortable being vulnerable in front of them, our relationship must be strong. We must really trust each other. We must really love each other. Sharing our deepest feelings with someone will make them more likely to share their own feelings with us in the future.