why journaling makes you cry (and why that's actually healing)

You sat down to journal. Maybe you were writing about your day, or something from your past, or just letting thoughts spill out.

And then suddenly—tears. Quiet at first, then unstoppable.

You weren't even writing about anything that sad. But now you're crying, and you're not sure why, and part of you wonders: Is this normal? Am I making things worse?

Here's the truth: You're not broken. You're healing.

what's actually happening when you cry while journaling

When you write about emotions—especially ones you've been pushing down—your brain does something powerful: it externalizes what's been stuck inside.

For weeks, months, maybe years, you've been carrying feelings you never fully processed. Grief. Anger. Disappointment. Fear. Loneliness.

Your body knows those emotions are there. But your conscious mind has been too busy surviving to deal with them.

Then you start writing.

And suddenly, those suppressed emotions have a way out. The floodgates open. The tears come.

That's not a breakdown. That's a release.

why writing triggers emotions more than thinking does

You might think, "But I've thought about this stuff before. Why does writing make me cry when thinking about it doesn't?"

Because writing forces you to slow down and actually feel.

thinking lets you avoid. writing makes you stay.

When you're just thinking, your brain can jump around. Distract itself. Move to the next thought before emotions surface.

But when you write, you have to translate feelings into words. You have to name what you're feeling. Describe it. Sit with it long enough to get it onto the page.

That process engages your prefrontal cortex (the reasoning part of your brain) while also activating the limbic system (where emotions live). The combination creates a bridge between feeling and understanding.

And sometimes, understanding hurts. Because it means acknowledging something you've been trying not to see.

writing makes emotions real

There's something about seeing your pain written on a page that makes it undeniable.

In your head, you can minimize. "It wasn't that bad. I'm overreacting. Other people have it worse."

But when you write "I felt abandoned" or "That really hurt me" or "I'm still angry about this"—you can't unsee it.

The truth is right there. And the tears? They're your body saying, "Yes. This mattered. This hurt. You're allowed to feel it."

the different types of journaling tears

Not all journaling tears are the same. Here's what they might mean:

1. grief tears (the heavy kind)

These come when you're writing about loss. A person. A version of yourself. A dream that didn't happen. Time you can't get back.

Grief tears feel heavy. Like you're mourning something you didn't realize you'd been carrying.

What they mean: You're processing loss your brain hasn't fully metabolized yet. This is healthy grief work.

2. relief tears (the exhale kind)

Sometimes you cry and it feels like a weight lifting. Like you've been holding your breath and finally get to exhale.

These tears come when you finally admit something you've been hiding—even from yourself.

"I'm exhausted." "I don't have to keep pretending." "It's okay that I'm not okay."

What they mean: You're releasing the pressure of holding it all together. Your nervous system is calming down.

3. anger tears (the hot kind)

These are the frustrated, indignant, "this wasn't fair" tears.

They come when you write about injustice. Betrayal. Being treated poorly. Boundaries that were crossed.

What they mean: You're finally letting yourself feel angry instead of swallowing it. Anger is a healthy emotion when it's acknowledged.

4. recognition tears (the "oh" kind)

These happen when you write something and suddenly see a pattern you hadn't noticed before.

"Oh. I've been doing this my whole life."
"Oh. That's why I feel this way."
"Oh. I learned that from them."

What they mean: You're having an insight. Your brain is connecting dots. This is growth.

what to do when the tears come

If journaling makes you cry, here's how to hold space for yourself:

1. let yourself cry

Don't fight it. Don't judge it. Don't tell yourself to "get over it."

Crying is your body's way of processing and releasing emotion. It's not weakness. It's healing.

Set down your pen. Breathe. Let the tears flow. You don't have to rush through this.

2. keep writing if it helps (or stop if it doesn't)

Some people find that continuing to write through the tears helps them process further.

Others need to stop, cry it out, and come back later.

Both are okay. Listen to what your body needs in the moment.

3. don't make it mean something's wrong

Tears don't mean you're "too emotional" or "broken" or "making a big deal out of nothing."

They mean you're human. And you're feeling something that matters.

If you're crying, it's because something deserves to be cried about. Trust that.

4. write about the crying itself

After the tears pass, try writing about the experience:

• What made me cry?
• What was I feeling underneath the tears?
• What does my body need right now?
• What did I learn from letting myself feel this?

This turns the emotional release into insight.

when crying means you're on the right track

Here's a perspective shift: if journaling makes you cry, it's working.

It means you're:

• Finally giving yourself permission to feel
• Releasing emotions you've been suppressing
• Processing experiences your brain hasn't fully digested
• Creating space for healing

The goal of journaling isn't to feel happy all the time. It's to feel real.

And real feelings include sadness, grief, anger, and pain. When you let yourself feel those, you also make space for joy, peace, and healing.

the difference between helpful tears and overwhelm

That said, there's a difference between cathartic release and retraumatization.

cathartic release feels like:

• You cried and now feel lighter
• Emotions came up, you felt them, and they passed
• You feel clearer afterward, even if you're tired
• The tears felt like letting go

overwhelm/retraumatization feels like:

• You're spiraling and can't stop
• The emotions feel too big to hold
• You feel worse after writing, not relieved
• You're reliving trauma instead of processing it

If journaling consistently leaves you feeling worse, pause. You might need more support before diving into certain topics.

Healing isn't about forcing yourself to confront everything at once. It's about moving at a pace your nervous system can handle.

your tears are not a problem to fix

We live in a world that treats tears like inconveniences. Like something to apologize for.

But when you journal, your tears are not a flaw. They're a feature.

They're proof that:

• You're brave enough to feel
• You're honest enough to write the truth
• You're giving yourself the gift of release

So if your journal is stained with tears? Good. That means you're doing the work.

And on the other side of those tears? Clarity. Relief. Space to breathe.

Keep writing. Keep feeling. Keep healing.