A Wave of Tears: Why Are So Many of Us Crying Right Now?

Lately, it seems like everyone I know is crying. Not just the occasional emotional release in response to an event, but deep, gut-wrenching, soul-clearing tears that come from deeper within. It’s as if something unspoken is moving through us, demanding to be felt. What is happening? And why now?

The Science of Crying

Crying is a uniquely human experience. While other mammals vocalise distress, humans too shed emotional tears—an evolutionary quirk that carries profound physiological and psychological benefits. Tears have been said to help:

• Regulate stress hormones: Emotional crying releases oxytocin and endorphins, helping to soothe the nervous system and bring a sense of relief.
• Detoxify the body: Stress-related tears contain high levels of cortisol and other toxins, potentially acting as a literal cleansing mechanism.
• Facilitate connection: Tears are a primal way of signalling vulnerability, inviting empathy and support from those around us.

A Personal Reflection

I’ve been crying too, a lot. The sort of tears that just keep coming, tumbling down my cheeks and dripping off my jaw. As I travel alone from one 'home' to another I'm without distraction - I made the deliberate choice to disengage from my phone for this journey. I've learned that for me, it is a numbing tool. When I feel a block in my writing, or some other internal signal that I don't understand, the phone magically appears in my hand. And, my glorious daughter and co-pilot in this life stage has stayed at the Southern home for a month of connection and learning with others in her family. So as I sit between our homes, and without a key member of our small but mighty pack, a flood of emotions is rising to meet me.

Each day so far (it's been a week...) I find myself sitting with a range of uncomfortable questions: Why does solitude bring up such sadness for me? Am I depressed? What does 'home' mean for me? What am I doing here? Why am I alone? How can I be who I am and make a valuable contribution to others? Why do I keep crying? Who even am I? I’m leaning into this discomfort, allowing myself to process everything that is surfacing. It’s a heavy load, leaving little room for anything else right now.

Perhaps my tears are making space for these answers to emerge....?

A Collective Emotional Release?

On a broader scale, our tears may be telling a deeper story. We are living in times of immense transition—socially, politically, and environmentally. Many of us have been carrying years of suppressed stress, grief, and uncertainty. Is it possible that we are collectively reaching an emotional breaking point?

Some possible reasons behind the current wave of tears:

• Unprocessed Grief & Loss: The past few years have forced many of us to keep going through stress and hardship without time to truly grieve losses—of loved ones, stability, expectations, or even past versions of ourselves.
• Energetic Shifts & Planetary Movements: Whether or not you follow astrology or collective energy shifts, many report feeling a pull toward deep emotional purging during key planetary alignments or seasonal transitions.
• Heightened Empathy & Mirror Neurons: The more we see others cry, the more likely we are to release our own emotions. Humans are wired for emotional resonance, and this could be a case of collective catharsis.
• Personal Growth & Transformation: Deep emotional work often brings tears. If you are doing inner work—exploring your past, healing wounds, or confronting truths—crying is a natural byproduct of growth.

How to Honour Your Tears

If you find yourself crying more than usual, instead of resisting it, consider embracing it as an important part of your healing process. Here’s how:

• Let it Flow: Find a safe space to cry without judgment. Holding back only compounds stress.
• Move with the Emotion: After crying, gentle movement (stretching, walking, or shaking out tension) can help prevent emotional stagnation.
• Journal Your Feelings: Writing down what’s coming up for you can reveal patterns or insights behind the tears.
• Seek Connection: If possible, share your feelings with someone you trust. Being witnessed in our emotions can be profoundly healing.
• Self-Compassion: Remind yourself that crying is not a sign of weakness—it is a sign of deep processing and release.

Tears as Transformation

We live in a world that often values productivity over pause, logic over emotion, and control over surrender. But crying asks us to do the opposite. It invites us into softness, into truth, into the full range of what it means to be human.

So if you’ve been crying, know that you are not alone. This is a moment of deep release, of transformation, of making space for something new. And sometimes, the only way through is to let the tears come. 

But, and I feel like this is obvious but I'll say it anyway, if the tears are coming with thoughts of self-harm, the sense of 'what's the point?,' or other signals that, if you heard someone else say them, you'd be concerned for them—please seek help. You don’t have to navigate this alone, and there are people who want to support you.

Love H
xx

For Those Curious to Learn More

Scientific Perspectives on Crying

For those interested in the physiological and psychological mechanisms behind crying, a comprehensive review can be found in this study from Frontiers in Psychology. The research explores the biochemical components of tears, their role in stress relief, and the broader social and emotional implications of crying.

And a 2017 review article suggests that we lack evidence from well-designed scientific studies to support many of the claims made about crying and our health. But they conclude that the potential for benefits of crying or associations between crying and health warrants dedicated research and exploration.

Perhaps, rather than waiting on the 'science' and outsourcing such a deeply personal expression, we take this as an invitation to observe ourselves and those closest to us. Allowing reflection on our own experiences with crying and its effects - gathering, arguably, the most powerful evidence we can for what crying means for us, our own.

Astrological & Energetic Influences

• The Age of Aquarius: We are in a time of collective awakening, questioning old structures, and shifting toward greater authenticity. This era is pushing individuals to align with their truth, which can bring emotional upheaval.
• The Year of the Wood Snake: In Chinese astrology, 2025 is a year of deep introspection, transformation, and shedding old patterns—often bringing emotions to the surface.
• Pluto in Aquarius: This planetary shift is dismantling outdated paradigms, triggering deep personal and collective transformation.
• Saturn in Pisces: With Saturn moving through Pisces, we are being called to confront subconscious fears, old wounds, and emotional boundaries, making it harder to suppress feelings.
• Full Moon Energies: The recent full moon in Leo (February) brought themes of personal expression, identity, and emotional release, while the upcoming full moon in Virgo (March) will encourage clarity, emotional processing, and a focus on self-worth, routines, and healing. In the Southern Hemisphere, this energy coincides with late summer, a time of integration and preparing for the transition into cooler months.

What have your tears been telling you lately?