When you're in a situation where you might cry, you may find it embarrassing to cry in public, so you don't want to cry and hold it in. But always remember that crying is a good thing and everyone does it. Everyone has emotions, and they will understand why you cry. Here are some tips to help you hold back your tears!
Step
Method 1 of 4: Stopping Crying with Physical Activity
Step 1. Focus on your breath
Crying is a reaction to an overabundance of emotions, and the calming effect of breathing can help you stop crying. Perhaps you have recently recalled a sad memory, such as when you broke up with a lover, or a tragic event that happened in your life. Calming yourself can go a long way in stopping your crying. Focusing your mind on your breath, as in meditation, can help control the emotions you feel, and help restore your inner calm.
- When you feel your tears are about to fall, take a long, slow breath in through your nose, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Doing this will loosen the tension in your throat when you are on the verge of crying, as well as calm your mind and emotions.
- Try counting to 10. Inhale through your nose as you start counting. Exhale through your mouth while you are between number counts. Counting will help you focus your mind solely on your breath, and not on anything that makes you want to cry.
- Even taking one deep breath can calm you down when you're faced with something that makes you want to cry. Take a deep breath, hold it for a few moments, and then release it out. At that time, focus your mind only on the air going in and out of your lungs. Taking deep breaths will also give you some time to calm down before confronting the cause of your sadness.
Step 2. Move your eyes to control the tears
If you're in a situation where you feel like crying, but you don't want to show other people your emotions, moving your eyes can help you control the tears that are about to fall. Some studies show that blinking can help stop the flow of tears. Blink a few times to get the tears out of your eyes.
- Rotate or cross your eyes several times. Of course, you may only be able to do this when no one is looking at you. As well as distracting yourself mentally (since you have to focus your thoughts to cross your eyes), this will also physically prevent tears from forming.
- Close your eyes. Closing your eyes will give you time to digest what's going on. Closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths will help you calm down and focus on not crying.
Step 3. Distract yourself with physical movement
When your tears are about to fall, focusing on something else is important. Distracting yourself physically is one way to keep you from crying.
- Squeeze your upper thighs, or cup and squeeze your palms together. This pressure should be strong enough to distract you from the thing that makes you want to cry.
- Find something else you can squeeze, whether it's a toy, a pillow, some of your shirt, or a loved one's hand.
- Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, or toward your upper teeth.
Step 4. Make your facial expression more relaxed
Frowning and frowning may make you want to cry even more, because facial expressions can affect our emotions. To help you hold back your tears, try to keep a neutral facial expression in any situation that makes you want to cry. Loosen your eyebrows and the muscles around your mouth, so you don't appear anxious or stressed.
If it's polite, or you can leave the room for a few minutes, try to keep a smile on your face to keep from crying. Some research shows that smiling can change your mood in positive ways, even if you don't want to smile
Step 5. Remove the pressure from your throat
One of the most difficult things about holding back tears is getting rid of the pressure that builds up in your throat when you are about to cry. When your body senses that you are under pressure, one way the autonomic nervous system acts is by opening the glottis, which is the muscle that controls the passage from the back of the throat to the vocal cords. When the glottis opens, you will feel like there is a lump in your throat that makes it difficult to swallow.
- Drink water to release the pressure caused by the opening of the glottis. Drinking water will relax your throat muscles (and calm your nerves all at once).
- If there is no drinking water nearby, breathe calmly and swallow slowly, this will signal to the body that the glottis does not need to be opened.
- Evaporate. Yawning will help relax your throat muscles, which means it will help relax the pressure you feel in your throat when your glottis opens.
Method 2 of 4: Stopping the Cry by Changing the Focus
Step 1. Think of something to focus your mind on
Sometimes, you can stop the flow of tears from flowing by turning your attention to something else. For example, you can change the focus of your mind by solving some math problems in your head. Adding up a few numbers, or keeping a multiplication table in your head will help distract you from whatever is making you sad and help calm you down.
Alternatively, you can try to remember the lyrics of your favorite song. Remembering song lyrics and singing them in your head will distract you from whatever is bothering you. Try to imagine happy song lyrics so you can cheer yourself up
Step 2. Imagine a funny thing
While it can be hard to do when you're dealing with something that makes you want to cry, imagining something funny can really help you hold back your tears. Think about something that made you laugh out loud in the past -- a funny memory, a movie trailer, or a joke you've heard before.
Try to smile when you think about this funny thing
Step 3. Remind yourself that you are strong
Bracing yourself when your tears are about to fall can help overcome your urge to cry. Say it's okay if you feel sad, but you shouldn't be sad right now. Remind yourself of the reasons why you can't cry right now -- you don't want to cry in front of people you don't know, or you want to be strong for someone else, etc. Tell yourself it's okay to feel sad, but right now you have to be strong.
- Remember that you are a great person, with family and friends who love you. Think about what you have accomplished in life, and what you want to achieve in the future.
- Research shows that reinforcing yourself with words has many health benefits beyond reducing stress. It can also prolong your life, increase your immunity to colds, reduce your chances of developing depression, increase your ability to deal with difficult situations, and reduce your chances of dying from a heart attack.
Step 4. Divert your attention by doing something else
The worst thing you can experience is drowning in anything that makes you want to cry, especially if you want to hold back the tears. Distractions are a temporary way to hold back tears -- but know that at some point, you'll have to deal with whatever's bothering you.
- Play the movie you want to see (or re-watch an old movie you really enjoyed). If you don't like watching movies, pick up your favorite book, or play a certain episode of your favorite TV show.
- Take a walk to clear your mind. Oftentimes, enjoying nature can be a great way to distract yourself -- allow yourself to enjoy the beauty around you and try not to remember things that make you sad.
- Exercise. Exercise releases endorphins, and makes you feel better when you're feeling down. Exercising will also make you focus on what you are doing, not how you feel.
Method 3 of 4: Hiding Your Tears
Step 1. Say another reason
While those around you may notice that you're not telling the truth, saying something else might still help you calm down.
- Say that you have a severe allergy. This is a classic reason why you cry -- allergies do make your eyes water and red.
- Yawn and say something like, “yawns always make my eyes water.”
- Say that you think you are not feeling well. Often times, the eyes of people who are almost sick will become watery. Saying you're not feeling well will also give you a good reason to leave the room at that point.
Step 2. Wipe your tears discreetly
If you can't hold it in and you end up with a few drops of tears, wiping them secretly is a great way to keep yourself from crying.
- Pretend that you are trying to get something out of the corner of your eye, then wipe along the bottom of your eye and tear at the edges. Gently pressing your index finger to the inner corner of your eye will also help you wipe away your tears.
- Pretend that you are sneezing and hide your face into the inside of your elbow (so you can wipe away the tears with your arm). If you can't fake a sneeze, say, "It wasn't a sneeze."
Step 3. Get out of the situation
If you are in a negative situation that makes you want to cry, step aside. This does not mean rushing out of the room. However, if something makes you feel down, come up with an excuse to leave the room for a while. Getting rid of anything that makes you want to cry will help you feel better and control your tears. By taking a break for a while, you can distract yourself both mentally and physically from the problem.
As you step out of the way, take a deep breath and then release the same length. You will find that your tendency to cry is much reduced
Method 4 of 4: Letting Out Tears and Moving On
Step 1. Let your cry out
Sometimes, you just need to get it out, and there's nothing wrong with that. Crying is a very natural thing, and everyone -- absolutely everyone -- does it. Even if you hold back your tears for a while, you still need to allow yourself to feel sad at some point. Find a quiet place for yourself to be alone, and let you cry long until you are relieved.
Allowing yourself to cry may be beneficial for your physical and mental health. Crying can help your body flush out toxins. After crying to relief, you may also feel happier and less stressed
Step 2. Find out why you want to cry
It's important to take time to think about things that make you cry or want to cry. Once you figure out what's making you sad, you'll be able to think about it thoroughly and come up with solutions to make you feel better. Think back to what happened and made you want to cry. Is there a particular person or situation that makes you feel that way? Has anything happened recently that made you feel down? Or is there some other reason that keeps you from crying?
If you can't determine the cause of your own sadness, consider talking to a therapist. If you cry a lot and often feel like crying, you may have depression and need treatment to treat it
Step 3. Keep a journal or diary
Writing down your own thoughts will help you understand them and feel better. Keeping a diary can also help you deal with stress, anxiety, and depression. For best results, take a few minutes each day to write down your feelings and thoughts. You can organize your journal the way you want and write whatever you want.
If a certain person makes you want to cry, try writing them a letter. It's often easier to write down how you feel than to say it outright. Even if you don't send this letter, you will feel better after pouring your feelings and thoughts into it
Step 4. Talk to someone
After you let go of your tears, you should talk about your experience with someone. Talk to a friend, family member, or therapist about anything that makes you want to cry. As the old saying goes, "heavy is the same, light is the same," and the person you're talking to will help you face the challenges you're going through.
- Talking to someone will also make you feel like you're not alone in the situation. If you feel like you're carrying too much weight, talk to someone, and let them help you deal with how you're feeling and thinking.
- Talking is a very useful form of therapy for people experiencing depression, anxiety, loss, health problems, relationship problems, and more. Consider talking to a therapist if you have persistent problems with crying, or you have a problem that you want to talk to someone who will keep it safe and confidential.
Step 5. Divert your attention to what you enjoy
Making time for hobbies can help you find a new perspective during difficult times. Make time each week to enjoy one of your hobbies. Even if you feel like you can't fully pay attention to the world around you because you're feeling so down, you'll soon find that you're enjoying it and may even laugh.
Surround yourself with people who make you feel happy. Do things you enjoy and enjoy, like hiking, painting, etc. Come to parties and meet new people, or dress up nicely with friends and throw your own party. Fill your schedule with a variety of activities -- filling time is one of the best ways to distract yourself from sadness
Tips
- Don't hold back your feelings.
- If you can't help it, that's okay! Sometimes nothing can stop your tears from flowing -- just let them out!
- Hugs from friends or family can make you feel good.
- Grinding your teeth can help control your tears when in public. Once you've calmed down, think back to why you were crying and who made you cry.
- Talk calmly about why you are sad to the person who caused it.
- Let your tears flow even if your friends see it, they WILL understand.
- Take a deep breath, close your eyes, lie down, and relax.
- Think about calming and happy things from your childhood.
- Read a book or talk to someone about controlling your emotions and trying to regulate your emotions.
- Come to your favorite quiet place to "be alone" and think. You may be able to bring along a friend who can help calm you down.
- Sitting or standing straighter can make you feel more confident and strong, which can help you hold back tears.
- Pray.
- Blink to hold back the tears. Or you can let it out in front of friends who see you're sad. They will understand.
- Remind yourself that everything that happens has been outlined, and everything will be beautiful in its time.
- Eat chocolate or other food, but not too much, a few bites of chocolate is enough.
- Talk to your friends or parents; tell me everything. They can certainly make you happy again.
- If you have close friends or close family, you should give them a sign that you are about to cry that no one else knows. They may know how to help you. Give a sign either in the form of a voice change, or whatever, they'll know about it, and do whatever they can to help you.
- Don't fight it. If you have to cry, then cry.
- Play your favorite song, and dance!
Warning
- If you think about hurting yourself or someone else, seek help immediately.
- If you feel like you don't have anyone to talk to, seek professional help. Go to your tutor or therapist. There is always someone who will listen to you. Even talking to other adults you trust, even if they aren't family members, can also help.
