Why you end up crying, even when you’re not sad

Ever found yourself with tears running down your cheeks after a seemingly minor incident or experience? One of those ‘I don’t even know why I’m crying’ moments. It’s probably just a result of your prefrontal cortex becoming overwhelmed, like a computer that has too many programmes running at once.

The more stressed and tired we are, or if we experience extended periods of physical or emotional pain, the more the sympathetic system (which activates our fight-or-flight response when we perceive danger) remains activated.

Simply put, the brain becomes less able to regulate our emotions in the expected ways. Hence the tears.

Associate Professor Peggy Kern of the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Positive Psychology joins the show to discuss the many benefits of tears.