 Hey, Psych2Goers. What does it mean to be strong? Oftentimes, you may associate being strong with being physically strong. However, it's also important to think about strength in terms of mental health. You may underestimate what a healthy mindset can do for you. Here are 10 signs you are mentally stronger than most people. Number one, you allow yourself to cry. Do you sometimes cry to let out your sadness and frustrations? Everybody cries. And despite what some parents tell their kids, you shouldn't always hold back those tears. Psychologists have found that crying can actually help you relieve tension and stress. They also found it helps relax your muscles. Without this emotional release, your body may end up taking on more physiological stress, and it may lead to problems such as mental fatigue, higher blood pressure, and lapses in memory. So next time you feel like crying, go ahead and let it out. You'll likely feel better afterwards by relieving that tension. Number two, you spend money responsibly. Do you buy things you don't need? Are you a shopaholic? Impulse buying, especially in this day and age, can be tempting and easy to do. Having self-restraint and discipline is important, as it can help you be aware of the things you really need instead of the things that may only help satisfy an urge. Number three, you use your time wisely. Do you often procrastinate, or do you have things scheduled one after the other, or have a list of things you have to accomplish by a certain time? While it's good to have a productive mindset, it's also healthy to take a break now and again. Preparing your work may help avoid procrastination or from feeling too overwhelmed. It's important for your mental health to have a balance of work and other activities. Number four, you're kind to others. Do you help your neighbors with their groceries, or help your friends study you with a difficult exam? Are you very empathetic and kind? A sign of true strength is to practice empathy and compassion even when things are going wrong. It takes courage and resilience to continually be a positive impact on the world despite all the things going on in the world right now. Number five, you practice gratitude. If things not worked out lately, maybe a concert you were really looking forward to was canceled or you didn't get to see your best friend. While you may feel frustrated and be tempted to complain about all the things going wrong, it's also important to practice gratitude for the things you do have instead of focusing on all the bad appreciating the things you have can go a long way for your mental health. Number six, you're open to new ideas. Do you move on to look for better things when the situation you're in no longer benefits you? It's not always the case that giving up is a sign of weakness. Sometimes it can be healthy to let go of things that are holding you down instead of helping you grow. A sign of strength is when you can welcome new ideas and adapt to new changes in lifestyle. Number seven, you learn from your mistakes. Do you reflect on your past mistakes and see how you can improve? It can be easy to focus on the things that went wrong and fall into a pit of self-blame. A sign of mental strength is therefore the ability to acknowledge your mistakes and find ways to improve and be better. Number eight, you don't try to control everything. Do you constantly have to manage everything or make sure things are in place out of fear that things will go wrong? Sometimes there are things that are out of our control and holding on to these things instead of letting go may end up hurting you in the long run. A sign of mental strength therefore is in learning to let go of the uncontrollable things in life. According to psychotherapist William Berry, the use of control is paradoxical. We believe taking control will bring us security and happiness, yet its overuse causes unhappiness, anxiety, and malaise. In the treatment of clients with addiction problems, depression, marital issues, anxiety, and anger issues, a common thread is control. So perhaps you'll feel a bit happier and mentally stronger once you practice learning to let go of the idea of having complete control. Number nine, you're not codependent. Do you overly rely on others for support? When you don't have a strong sense of self, you may end up depending on others for everything including to validate your worth. It's crucial that you're able to work on your own problems and overcome obstacles on your own to develop a strong sense of self. And finally, number 10, you continue to persist. Do you give up or keep on going when things start to get difficult? Experiencing rejections and failures can sometimes lead to defeat, but the key is whether you get back up and keep trying or not. You may feel frustrated or even upset at times, but a sign of mental strength is your persistence to keep going when you feel like giving up. Take a deep breath and try your best to find that strength inside of you. Cry if you have to, but keep persisting Psych2Goers. So do you think you're mentally strong? Tell us about it in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, please like, subscribe, and share it with others who may find it helpful too. All the references used are added in the description box below. Thanks so much for watching and we'll see you in the next video.