Will Rogers, America's favorite cowboy-comedian of the 1930s, was adept at making others laugh.  But one day his friend Milton Berry, founder of a rehab center in Los Angeles for accident victims, saw Will Rogers weep as he ducked into a bathroom to release his pent-up sadness over the victims' disfigurements.  He sobbed like a child, then emerged from the rest room smiling and laughing as before.  He could not let the public see him weep lest his tears should spoil his humor.

Fact or Fiction?  The last Monday in January is the saddest day of the year.
The answer?  A little of both.

Some six years ago a travel company, Sky Travel, paid a supposed British research psychologist, Cliff Arnall, to devise a formula for calculating the saddest day of the year.  According to an MSNBC report, the equation (based on personal interviews and variables like the rate of absenteeism from work and personal debt) is "broken down into seven variables: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failed quit attempt, (M) low motivational levels and (NA) the need to take action."

So what was the answer to the equation?  Blue Monday--the last Monday in January. A combination of bad weather, lack of sunlight, being shut in, accumulated debt from Christmas and New Years all work together to leave us feeling less than hopeful and energetic.

Is it good science?  That's debatable according to many in the field.  The author of the equation was not a staff research scientist, nor even a Psychology professor, but merely a part-time tutor at an esteemed UK university.  But it is nevertheless generally agreed that for many this is not a "happy" time of year. 

Many people tend to fight the onset of tears, when crying is in fact a natural and beneficial response to several common emotions such as grief, sadness, dejection, and even joy. Tears are triggered by our emotions, but they are also a practical and protective reaction from the body. We produce three main types of tears.

Basal tears are in our eyes all day. Basal tears are functional, lubricating tears that help improve our vision, focus, and fight against infection. A protein called lysozyme is present in basal tears. This protein protects against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Basal tears contain oil, mucus, salt, and water. The oil prevents the tears from evaporating and blinking spreads a layer of basal tears on the eye’s surface.

Reflex tears are our eyewash tears. These are triggered by environmental irritants such as dust, smoke, and wind. These tears flush out any irritating material for our eyes. These are also the tears produced when we cut an onion.

Emotional tears flood our eyes in response to strong emotions and are similar to basal tears in chemical makeup but also contain stress hormones and natural pain relievers.

Crying has a number of other proven benefits as well. Crying has a self-soothing effect which helps us to calm ourselves, regulate our emotions, and return us to a more neutral emotional state within a certain period of time. Deep belly breaths from crying and sobbing regulate our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing - all of which aids in recovering from stress.

Crying can cause our body to produce hormones that make us feel better. We release oxycontin and endorphins after we cry, which can help reduce stress, relieve pain, and lift our mood. In other words, having a good cry can improve our mood after we cry. 

Crying is also a way the body rids itself of chemicals that are released in the body to help us cope during times of stress, but can have negative impacts when not processed out of the body. So, if we try to push back the tears or feel shame when we cry, it can have the opposite effect, inducing anxiety, depression, upset stomach, and heart-associated issues.

Crying is also an attachment behavior. Crying signals to others that we need help and support. Most obviously associated with infants and small children, research suggests that crying serves the same functions in adults, facilitating deeper social connections and community support.