You’ve seen it in movies, TV, and, of course, Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty music video: people falling to the floor, sobbing in the shower, letting both their tears and the water from their shower head fall over them. And if you’ve ever had your own cry-sesh in the shower, you know that there’s a reason it’s shown in pop culture so often — it feels so fucking good.
But what is it about crying while a stream of water comes down your body that’s so cathartic? Believe it or not, there’s some science behind it.
Why Does Crying In A Shower Feel So Good?
One of the main reasons why crying in the shower can feel good is it often is one of the places where we’re alone and most physically vulnerable,” licensed psychotherapist Kristin Papa tells Betches. “The shower also often provides a soothing environment that feels safe and private, allowing individuals to let their guard down and release pent-up emotions.”
Papa also explains that it’s not just the feel of a shower that provides comfort; it’s the sounds, too. A shower is basically like white noise, which can even drown out the sound of crying. So, it helps you reduce self-consciousness, which leads to feeling more uninhibited.
“This combination of physical comfort, privacy, and symbolic cleansing makes shower-crying a uniquely therapeutic experience, often leaving individuals feeling refreshed and emotionally unburdened,” Papa says.
This is probably why luxury Italian spas have now started incorporating what they’re calling “emotional showers” into their services.
What Is An Emotional Shower?
Some spas are adding “emotional showers” to their list of services. And it isn’t exactly what you think it’d be. People aren’t going to luxury spas and paying for the ability to cry in a shower (especially when you can do that at home for free).
An “emotional shower” at a spa is a specific type of hydrotherapy. It involves a variation of different water pressures, lights, and sounds that are supposed to create a soothing environment — an “emotional state,” as Condé Nast Traveler puts it, that increases blood circulation. The idea is that you leave the “shower” feeling at peace and rejuvenated.
So whether you decide to get an “emotional shower” at a luxury spa in Italy or just a super emotional shower in the privacy of your own home, just know that you’re actually doing quite a lot to get an emotional release and feel so much better. Plus, who doesn’t want to feel like they’re in a Carrie Underwood music video?
