 When you hear the word strong, what comes first to your mind? Do you imagine Dwayne Johnson lifting weights or weather hazards like a snowblizzard? Strong can seem intimidating when we associate it with physical force, size, and shape. But what about the more subtle signs of strong that can happen internally? You can be the smallest person and still have the power to get over bad days. Often we underestimate what a healthy mindset can do for us. Here are 10 signs you are mentally stronger than most people. 1. You allow yourself to cry. Here's a friendly reminder we commonly forget. You don't need to always have it together. Crying is not a sign of weakness. In fact, repressing your emotions can cause problems, such as mental fatigue, higher blood pressure, and memory lapses. When you shut down on your emotions, your body takes on more physiological stress, and your brain will believe it has no choice but to give up on remembering the event that is too painful for you. But psychologists have discovered that crying can help your muscles relax and relieve tension. Grab a tissue box if you must, and let out your sadness and frustrations. It's okay. 2. You don't try to control everything. Do you have a tendency to latch on to things and ruminate when they aren't going well? In this day and age, we emphasize hustling. We think that if we aren't overloading ourselves with tasks, then we won't get the results we want. But pace is important. If you're constantly burning yourself out, are you really getting closer to your goal or further away from it? Sometimes, you just have to be patient and wait things out. 3. You use your time wisely. Now, just because you have to wait things out doesn't mean you need to slack off completely. This can promote laziness instead of a productive mindset. Activities like losing weight or hearing back from job applications will inevitably take time. Channel your efforts into other areas of self-improvement and be mindful of not only your goals, but yourself. Maybe read up on nutrition when you're not working out, or catch up with friends and family. Make every day count. 4. You practice gratitude. Do you ever feel like the universe is out to get you? It might be tempting to complain about everything, but take a deep breath. Appreciate the people and things you have in your life, and look how far you've come. You might not be able to move out just yet like you wanted to, or maybe your trip got cancelled due to an emergency. It's okay to be frustrated, but don't fall in the trap of playing the victim. That just holds you back even further. 5. You are kind to others. Kind people often get a bad rep for being pushovers, but let me tell you that is far from the truth. Practicing empathy, sympathy, and compassion, even when everything is going wrong, is a sign of true strength. Think about it. If you're willing to let go of your self-absorbed behavior in order to focus on being a positive impact to the world, that takes courage when you know no one owes you anything in return. 6. You're open to new ideas. If something no longer agrees with your values, it's okay to change your mind and move on to better things. We often think giving up is a sign of weakness, but that's not always the case. Mentally strong people will not stubbornly hold on to situations that no longer serve them well. Instead, they will welcome new ideas, let go of what keeps them from growing, and adapt to lifestyle changes that will help them in the long run. 7. You learn from your mistakes. Do you take time every day to reflect on your actions? This habit will take you far in life. People who tend to repeat their mistakes or focus on self-blame or blame external factors instead of problem-solving are more likely to stay in a toxic cycle. Learn to forgive yourself, apologizing when you've done something wrong, and be open to feedback in order to get better. 8. You spend money responsibly. Alright, raise your hand if you're guilty of buying things you don't need. When you get sale alerts in your inbox or see merchandise being sponsored on Instagram, it's super tempting to take part in impulse buying. But all that does is satisfy your adrenaline rush. In the long run, you might end up tossing these items. Mentally strong people are self-disciplined. They wait things out and ask themselves after a week if they still want something. Not only does this technique save them money, but they become self-aware on what truly brings them joy in life. 9. You don't lean on codependency. Codependency occurs when you don't have a strong sense of self and rely on others for validation. When you practice self-sufficiency, find happiness from within, and learn how to deal with your problems alone, you allow others to support you, not rescue you. In turn, this strengthens your relationships when you don't manipulate or possess others to help you. 10. You continue to persist. Slow and steady wins the race. Rejections, failures, and adversities will come your way, but mentally strong people are aware of their limitations and practice realistic optimism. They don't blow their fantasies out of proportion and focus on what's in front of them. Taking things one day at a time and chunking your dreams into smaller goals will bring you closer to making them real. Need some inspiration? Check out Jackadamiya's channel. He recovered from brain surgery and continues to search for hope and gratitude with his animations. It would mean a lot to him and us if you showed him some support and love. Also, give this video a thumbs up if you liked it, and as always, thanks for watching.