Ever notice that after crying your eyes out watching a real tearjerker, you suddenly feel kinda exhilarated? 

Well, it turns out you're not the only one. Scientists in the Netherlands tested the effect of crying during particularly emotional films, and they discovered that it can actually have a positive effect on our emotions. 

A group of 60 adults were asked to watch two seriously weepy films, La Vita E Bella and Hachi: A Dog's Tale. The participants' emotions were then charted for the hours after the films were switched off. 

Those who shed a tear during the films (28 out of 60) felt sad initially but experienced a positive change in emotion around 90 minutes later. As for those who didn't cry, their mood remained unchanged.

"After the initial deterioration of mood following crying, it takes some time for the mood not only to recover but also to be lifted above the levels at which it had been before the emotional event,” said lead author Dr Asmir Gracanin of the University of Tilburg.

If you're in the mood for a good weepy film after reading this, here are a few we can always count on to have us in floods…

1. Marley and Me
You don’t need to be an animal person to get emotional watching this movie, which tells the story of an adorable Golden Retriever and his owners, played by Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. Just thinking about the ending sets us off.

 

2. Titanic
Don't let go, Jack… just this once, don't let go!

 

3. Stepmom
Equal parts funny and totally devastating, Stepmom is the perfect movie for a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea and heaps of chocolate.

 

4. The Fault In Our Stars
From the moment 16-year-old Hazel meets Gus at a cancer support group, it's clear this movie isn't going to have a happy ending. This was the first of John Green's novels to be adapated for the big screen, with Paper Towns in cinemas now and Looking For Alaksa soon to follow.