It is nearly always best to express your emotions. As Shrek might say if he were a bit more sophisticated, tears are better out than in! However, sometimes, you just can't give yourself that freedom to cry. Whether it is because you would rather other attendees not know the extent of how much you are feeling at a funeral or some other reason, if you want to ensure that you don't cry at a funeral, try these tips for keeping your emotions in check.

Try This: Take Deep, Focused Breaths

Check in with yourself and focus on your breathing if you feel that tears are inevitably on the way. Take deep, slow breaths and try to focus on something that centers you. You can find a greater sense of inner peace and simultaneously stop the tears when you focus on simply breathing in and out.

With every inhale of your breath, try to count to at least 7 or 8 before exhaling slowly. When you exhale, try to imagine all the sadness flowing away. Try this a few times. Within a matter of moments, you may be able to stop those tears from flowing. That can give you a breather, no pun intended, from the distress until you have the luxury of privacy to let your tears flow.

Try This: Bring Something to Divert Your Attention

Emotions tend to boil over with undeniable tears when people are deeply touched by something. Since funerals are the last chance to say good-bye to a loved one, it is little wonder why they are often tear-filled events. Prepare for the onslaught by bringing along something to divert your attention away from the sad thoughts or feelings.

Since phones are generally frowned on at many funerals or using them is at least a manners faux pas, try to bring something that's subtle instead. Bring along a small book, a photo that just represents joyful thoughts, a card with a cool quote, or any other little thing that will immediately divert your attention away from the tear-inspiring thought.

Finally, remember that keeping your emotions in check at a funeral isn't straightforward. What works for someone may not work for you, and there is no real way to predict whether something in the ceremony will resonate with you and inspire a great deal of emotion. Try these tips when you need to keep it together. Also, make sure you have an easy way to exit the ceremony if you do feel yourself getting emotional and don't want others to see. For more etiquette advice, contact a company like Fletcher Funeral Home PA.