8 Ways To Stop Yourself From Crying

There is nothing worse when you are in an emotional situation, and you can feel yourself welling up, but you really don’t want to.

It could be on a first date – perhaps you see a movie that makes you sad. It could be in a fight with your partner where you get so frustrated you just cry instead of calmly talking about the way you feel. It could be at work where someone speaks too bluntly, and your feelings get hurt.

Whatever the circumstances, that feeling that you might cry can be very powerful and difficult to stop. However, the good news is there are plenty of methods to try to help get back in control of your emotions and stop yourself from crying when you don’t want to.

# Go for a walk

Okay, so this may not be easy to do in some circumstances. But if you are able to, then taking a short walk to clear your head, getting some fresh air, and reasoning with yourself can work wonders.

Physically moving will change your body chemistry and can release endorphins too, which will put you in a better mood. Removing yourself from whatever situation you were in that was making you feel so emotional should make you feel better too.

# Distract yourself

Focus on something other then what is making you upset. If you dwell on it, it will become almost impossible not to cry. However, by tricking the brain into thinking about something else you can probably stop yourself from crying.

List all the street names you can remember in your city, stare at the lines on your hands, or focus on reading those meeting papers or a book or magazine. If you can focus your attention away from the source of your tears for more than a minute, then you should be able to get back in control.

# Pinch yourself

Another great way to distract yourself is by pinching yourself or giving yourself a short, sharp shock. Dig your nails into the palms of your hands, squeeze your hands together, or punch the tops of your thighs.

Doing this will make your brain focus on the pain rather than what is upsetting you, and you’ll, therefore, be able to regain control.

# Change your breathing

Focusing on your breathing is another great way to help you stay calm and become relaxed. When you feel yourself welling up, try just taking several deep breaths, exhaling each time slowly. Breathing into a paper bag can also help. If you concentrate on your breathing, you’ll soon find yourself relaxing, and feeling more calm, and the urge to cry should also fade away.

# Move your eyes

Moving your eyes around can also stop the tears from falling. Moving your eyes around actually controls the tears, so they are less likely to fall from your eyes. Blinking quickly can also help control tears, but there is a point if your tear ducts are already full that blinking will only make them spill out instead.

# Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth

Pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth or behind the front of your teeth is another good way to stop yourself from crying, so if you feel yourself welling up, try this subtle method and see if it works!

# Squeeze something

Squeezing an object can also help you remain in control when you feel as though you want to cry. If you have something designed for squeezing, like a stress ball, all the better! However, a jumper, shirt, or anything you can get your hands on should be just as effective.

# Relax your face

We carry many emotions in our facial expressions. If you are about to cry, your face tends to tense up, your brow furrows, your mouth tightens, and so on. If you can, try to relax your facial muscles and this could prevent you from crying.