How Do You Stop Yourself From Crying?

Each of one of us go through some tough times every once in a while and sometimes, all we wanna do is just cry. Bato ang taong hindi pa umiiyak sa buong buhay niya. I admit I am such a cry baby, I cry over the simplest things. Sabi nga ng bestfriend ko, parang sirang gripo daw yung mata ko. Crying allows us to express our sadness, or in my case, even happiness (as in kahit simpleng tawa naluluha nako). But what do you do when you felt the sudden urge to cry at the most inappropriate places? Say for instance, you are in the middle of work, or surrounded by people you hardly know? How do you hold it in?

A simple Google search will lead you to a Wiki-How article on a step-by-step guide if you need to prevent yourself from crying. Some of the items listed worked for me – like inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, and swallowing saliva; some doesn’t work – smiling, laughing, rolling your eyes; and some I haven’t tried yet – like fixing math problems.

There are several items listed on the article, you just gotta choose which one works for you. Though of course, that only works on that specific moment. Eventually, it is still best if you let it out. Iyakin lang naman ako when it comes to matters of the heart, and my mom constantly knocking on my room made me practice impulse crying prevention. And after a few heartbreaks, I know how to prevent myself from crying when the need calls for it.

1. Loud RnB songs on iTunes. Make sure your songs are properly grouped as you don't wanna stumble upon a "Stolen" or an "I Love You Goodbye" song after the entire Lady Gaga album. 

2. Sheldon Cooper of "The Big Bang Theory." He's a no-fail upper, only he reminded me of the very reason why I felt the need to cry. 

3. Gossip about someone else's love life and act all joe-the-mango and give your unsolicited two cents. 

4. Call a trusted friend and tell him/her: "Humor me, now." I did it and I eventually stopped sobbing, I'm lucky I have a friend who just knows what to do to make me stop crying w/o even asking why. 

5. BLOG BLOG BLOG. And this is precisely why I am typing and typing and typing and typing.

We all have our own ways of coping – though let’s admit, some of us kind of “enjoy” lingering through the pain – causing us to cry and cry even more. In my case though, I prefer to go through it and cry my heart out. But I set a deadline. A friend also told me: “It’s all about mind-setting.” It’s like, “Sige I’m gonna cry all I want – pero 7 days from now I should not turn back anymore. Dapat I’m busy doing something else na.” The length of time depends on the gravity of one’s pain, and only you can tell when you’re ready to stop dehydrating yourself and do something useful.

I still have 5 days.