BUFFALO, N.Y. — At one point in your life, you’ve probably been told to “give it a good cry.” You can thank whoever told you that because there are health benefits of letting those tears fall down your cheeks.

Not everyone will be excited about Valentine’s Day. If you’re feeling emotional, bad or even good, let it out.

Brian Costello, a therapist with Grounded Path Counseling, says research shows that our tears release stress hormones, like cortisol. They also release oxytocin. That hormone is in charge of empathy and connection with other people. It is a natural experience you shouldn’t keep bottled up, he said.

“It is correlated to a repressed immune system, it is also correlated to increased cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure," Costello said. "Crying also engages the Parasympathetic Nervous System. The part of the nervous that takes over after a stressful event. That is what calms our body down.”

Costello notes that some people just don’t cry, and that’s OK. But make sure you aren’t suppressing your emotions. He says to listen to your body. Heaviness in your chest and a pit in your stomach are all signs you need to let some emotion out.

He says to pause, stop distracting yourself and talk to someone. Costello says being vulnerable with people creates stronger relationships, and you will feel lighter and not as lonely knowing you have someone to confide in.