How to stop crying when you can't stop, and what helps

How to stop crying when the tears won't stop: name it, slow your breathing, use cold water and let the wave finish. And why it happens more before periods.

To stop crying when you can’t stop, work with your body instead of ordering the tears away. Name what’s happening, slow your out-breath, put something cold on your face, and let the wave finish. Crying is a physical release, and it eases faster when the body settles.

Maybe something set it off, maybe nothing did. Either way, here is what to do in the next few minutes, and why it can happen more before your period.

Why can’t I stop crying?

Often there’s no single cause. A lot of pressure builds up and finds a way out.

What keeps crying going is often a second wave, the fear that you’re falling apart. Fast, catching breaths add to it. Slowing the breath and naming what’s happening can calm both.

If you’re crying for no reason you can find, the page on crying for no reason before your period is written for that moment.

Why do I cry more before my period?

Emotions shift with the menstrual cycle more reliably than thinking does. A 2018 review found that emotional changes across the cycle are consistent, mostly in the second half, and stronger in people with PMDD.

So in the days before a period, a normal amount of feeling can spill over more easily. Tears come faster and run deeper.

Knowing that it’s the premenstrual version of a hard day can take some of the fear out of it. The page on PMS crying explains more.

How do I stop crying right now?

Follow these steps in order. Give each one about a minute.

Name it. “I’m crying and I can’t stop.” You don’t need a reason.
Slow the out-breath. In for four counts, out for six or more. Keep the out-breath long and steady.
Use cold. Splash cold water on your face, or hold something cold against your cheeks or wrists.
Find the floor. Press both feet down. Say out loud where you are.
Let it finish. If the tears still want to come, let them run for a minute or two.

A cry that runs its course often clears faster than one you fight.

Which calming techniques work best for crying?

Different things work for different people. Try one, and switch if it doesn’t help.

Technique	How to do it	Best for
Long out-breath	In for four, out for six to eight	Catching, ragged breaths
Cold water	Face splash, or cold cloth on the eyes	Feeling flooded
Five senses	Name five things you see, four you hear	Feeling far away or panicky
Tense and release	Squeeze fists and shoulders, then let go	Feeling tight all over
Sip water slowly	Small sips, one at a time	The end of the wave

Relaxation practices like these have been studied for premenstrual symptoms. A 2026 review of 22 studies found mindfulness and relaxation reduced premenstrual anxiety and low mood, though the evidence is still limited.

How do I stop crying at work or in public?

Choose the quiet versions and find a private spot if you can.

Go to the bathroom and run cold water over your wrists.
Breathe out slowly through your nose, counting to six.
Look up and focus on one fixed point while you breathe.
Have a short line ready: “Give me a minute, I’ll be right back.”

The page on crying at work has more steps for the next five minutes.

What should I do after crying?

Go slowly. Take sips of water, wash your face, and give yourself a few minutes before you go back to anything.

Skip the layer of judgment. You cried, and it passed. That’s a body doing what bodies do.

If a specific worry set it off, write it in one line to look at later. It usually feels smaller when you’re steadier.

It can also help to tell one person. A short text is enough: “Rough evening, I had a big cry. I’m OK now.” Saying it out loud makes it less of a secret to carry.

Can anything help me cry less before my period?

Regular movement may help. In a 2018 survey of 7,193 working women in Taiwan, those who exercised regularly reported less premenstrual crying, irritability and low mood.

That survey shows a link, and it can’t prove that exercise caused the difference. It’s still a low-risk thing to try.

Other steps that help many people:

Track your cycle so the tearful days aren’t a surprise.
Keep that week lighter where you can.
Protect your sleep.

When is crying a sign to get help?

If you’re crying most days, if a heaviness won’t lift, or if the low mood is there all month, see a GP or gynecologist. Bring two months of daily notes so they can see when it happens.

The page on depression before your period explains how to tell premenstrual low mood from depression. If you ever have thoughts of hurting yourself, get help today. The page on suicidal thoughts before your period has what to do right now and who to call.

Niyora is a PMS and PMDD support app. When the tears won’t stop, its AI, Moon, helps you calm down, write down what happened, see it from another side and choose what to do next.