Mrunal Thakur Explains Why She Shared Crying Photo: It's Time We Normalise Being Vulnerable

Last week, Mrunal Thakur shared a photo of herself crying on her Instagram story. The next day she wrote, "Yesterday was tough. But I’m stronger, wiser, and happier today! Everybody has pages in their stories that they don’t read out loud, but I’m choosing to read out mine because maybe someone out there needs to learn the lesson I learned: "Taking one day at a time! It’s okay to be naïve and vulnerable."

In a recent interview, Thakur shared why she posted a teary-eyed photo of herself. "Sometimes, you want to hear good things; you want someone to push you, and sharing that story made me feel relaxed. Many people have stopped being vulnerable, but it’s okay. We don’t have to be afraid to be vulnerable," wrote the Sita Raman actor.

Mrunal Thakur Shares Crying Photo

In today’s world, especially with social media, everything looks nice, pretty, and aspirational, but trust me, there is a lot of hard work that goes behind that. Actors and famous personalities also face a lot of problems. So, that post was to normalise feeling vulnerable," she added.

As adults, we worry a great deal about others not knowing that we are going through a bad phase or have been crying. We mostly cry in the shower, with our faces pressed to the pillow, or weep silently while going about our daily chores. We feel embarrassed if someone catches us teary-eyed. Why do we do that?

There is a misconception that crying is a sign of weakness. However, the truth is that crying is a sign of strength. It requires a lot of courage for a person to break down, especially in public. Patriarchal societies have a huge problem with men crying. They say, "Why are you crying like a girl?" because crying is perceived as a sign of weakness, and women are deemed weak.

Many of us could right now be just one step away from having an emotional breakdown. But how many of us really let ourselves cry? We try to hold on for as long as possible because we don’t want people to think we are weak. We don’t want to be judged and shamed. We don’t want to be called "drama queens" or "overly sensitive." Because as a society, we are excessively concerned about what others think about us. Unfortunately, other people’s opinions of us matter more to us than our own.

It's high time we realised that it's okay to be sensitive, upset, scared, angry, frustrated, anxious, or overwhelmed. It’s okay to cry out loud for hours together if that's what will help us get back on our feet. Crying can be cathartic! Crying helps us let it all out. Bottling it all up is "regressive coping," which is bad for our health. It can lead to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, weakened immune systems, stress, anxiety, and depression.

Did you know that crying actually has health benefits? Research has established that when we cry, our body releases oxytocin and endorphins, which are also known as "feel-good hormones." Crying helps us get rid of stress hormones and other toxins in our bodies. The feel-good hormones help us ease both our physical and emotional pain. If you’ve ever wondered why you always feel better after crying, this is the reason! Isn’t this a valid enough reason to assure ourselves that being vulnerable and emotional is okay?

After all, crying is a form of emotion, and exhibiting emotions is what makes us human! So, how can that be a sign of weakness? Why should crying be an embarrassing act? It’s time to normalise expressing ourselves. Knowing celebrities’ influence on people, it’s good that actors like Mrunal Thakur share real and raw pictures of their lives and normalise being vulnerable.

Man or woman – If you need to cry, shed those tears! Don’t hold it back! Being vulnerable and crying is not something to be ashamed of. In fact, it’s empowering because by crying, we're accepting reality and acknowledging our emotions. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Suggested Reading: Why Is Crying Still A Taboo? Doesn’t It Come Naturally To Us?