Avoid tears

I did some housekeeping of my desktop and found that I had goggled for ways to hold tears.  These are some of  the things I copied down which I think may work for some of people out there.  People who weep easily are sentimental and unable to control the emotion when it hits you.  In some situation, we had to be tough for the sake of somebody.  My sincere apologies that I have lost all the web links for these info and unable to do proper referencing.

 

• Put the biggest, grinniest smile on your face possible. Hold it. Really stretch those cheek and eye muscles.

 

• Try memorizing and reciting an abstract poem in your mind, or using your imagination to construct an abstract visual scene to focus on.

 

• Make a fist and press your fingernails into your palm. Or bite your lip hard (not so hard you make it bleed though, that won't help matters. Causing yourself a little pain to focus on can sometimes stop the tears.

 

• If possible, sip some water (or liquid of your choice). I don't know why, but it's very difficult to cry and drink at the same time.

 

• Step away from anyone who you're with so that you're alone. Squeeze your nose, take a DEEP breath through your mouth. Stare into your eyes in a mirror and assure yourself that you're going to keep it together.

 

• Look up and rapidly blink.

 

• keep their tongue pressed firmly against the roof of their mouth. This seemed to keep the tears at bay pretty effectively.

 

• I'm in the "bite the inside of your cheek" school. Or, I'll look away and focus intensely on something else ("oh, look, whoever painted this room got a drop of paint on the floor all the way over there in the corner. These walls are a bizarre shade of green. I think I'll have a tuna sandwich for lunch today. Etc etc etc).

 

• Someone told me once that if you focus on bringing your thumb and index finger as close together as possible without letting them touch, it will stop you from crying. I've had mixed results with it, but it's worth a try.

 

• they started down the aisle to keep their tongue pressed firmly against the roof of their mouth.

 

• Look around the room and silently name the color you're seeing. Don't think about what the thing is--that's too much work. Just name the color. Repeat until calmer, along with deep breaths.