Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Have a Meltdown

Be strong. How many times have you heard that? What if you don’t want to be strong for a little while and you just want to be human? I remember going through some real tough stuff and one too many people told me to “be strong.” That’s when I knew I needed to have my meltdown; and I did.

It wasn’t pretty either. There was yelling (at friends I adored); there was crying (more like sobbing), and then there were the “you don’t understand because you have it better than me” accusations. My (true) friends forgave me because I was under more stress than one person could bear, and I felt all alone. Then something interesting happened.

I slept like a baby that night for the first time in months. I woke up feeling more peaceful than I had in just as much time. It dawned on me – maybe a meltdown now and again was necessary – hmmm interesting concept. You mean I don’t always have to “be strong?” It was like permission was given to be human, weak, and even humbled. Only difference now is the next time I need to do a countdown to a meltdown, I’d do it differently.

Having a Good Cry

Society sometimes makes us feel ashamed to show our raw vulnerabilities by crying. We want to “hold back our tears” so our fellow humans won’t get too close and see the real us. However, it’s called a good cry for a reason. Crying has its benefits.

Having a good cry is like an emotional soul cleanse. You release toxins and let go of stress. Afterward you feel this tremendous release and even feel nice and sleepy.

You Move Closer to Acceptance

When you can’t take another minute and you feel like there is no way out, having a meltdown is – in a way – like taking control. When you give up control, it’s like taking control.

There’s nothing left to do but embrace acceptance. You get in touch with your feelings and you don’t make them wrong anymore.

It’s a conscious choice to accept what you cannot change, take some time to breathe, and then move forward one small baby step at a time. Having a meltdown helps move you closer to acceptance. When you know there’s nothing left to do but face your challenges, you are that much closer to acceptance.

You Get to Focus on the Solution and not the Problem

Acceptance is a choice, even if no solution presents itself yet. When you have a meltdown, you release all that is toxic, all the hurt and the pain even if it’s just for a little while. You can get to space of emptiness and clearing and then move on to focus on a solution rather than concentrate on the problem.

Sometimes when you focus on what isn’t you miss out on what is.

So, next time you need to have a meltdown, go ahead have a good cry. Grab a friend or two and ask them to hold space for you while you do. Ask them to keep an eye out for you and not to let you stay in that place for too long – only long enough to find release.

Next time someone tells you to be strong when you know you can’t in that moment – thank them and tell them you will – after you’ve had a good cry.