Keeping your spirits high is always easier said than done. Sometimes you just can’t help but feel like the world is against you, especially during the times of worldwide pandemic. Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. After all, we've lived under numerous public health actions and restrictions for more than a year, and social distancing has made many of us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety.

Now that the world is returning to normal, many people feel like they cannot keep up with it. Unclear vaccination status, fear of catching the virus, record rates of unemployment, businesses going bankrupt and uncertainty about the future have added many layers to the stress. But whether we like it or not, life twists are unforeseeable, and it's just inevitable we have to find ways to cope with whatever it brings us.

So in order to find out what an expert has to say on keeping your spirits up during hard times, Bored Panda reached out to Lynn How, the author of “Positive Young Mind” and life coach who specializes in supporting educators, parents, and children with improving and prevention of mental health issues.

“When life takes an unexpected twist such as our current global pandemic, having the tools in your toolbox to cope and stay positive are a priority,” said Lynn and added that there are tried and tested ideas to try out to boost inner positivity and resilience.

“The first recommendation I would make to increase positivity is reflecting upon your self-esteem,” she said. Asking yourself questions like “Are you someone who works too hard because you think it’s expected of you and you are attempting to be perfect at everything all the time? Does this or similar behavior stem for some unconscious issue deep inside?” may be extremely beneficial in getting to know yourself.

“We all have our own little issues in worrying we’re not good enough or that we don’t matter. Working on this is so important, as if you have higher self-esteem, you are more likely to consider yourself worthy of taking time out to work on yourself. A higher self-esteem improves every aspect of your life so it’s worth the investment.”

According to Lynn, developing a sense of gratitude is another way to improve positivity. “Thinking about ten things every morning on the way to work that I am thankful for really helps lift my positivity and also remember that it could always be worse!”

The mind coach also suggests increasing collaboration with others, since many of us have found ourselves not wanting to talk with people anymore, “especially after long periods of not seeing people—it’s too easy to not restart (but you need to).” Making yourself social is a way to confront these anxieties, although at first, you may not feel like it.

“Recently I heard this phenomenon described as a ‘Blursday.’ Every day is Blursday with no plans! Combat this by filling your diary,” Lynn said and continued: “Plan one nice thing a day to look forward to and get it written down so it actually happens.”

And the last thing is never to underestimate the power of exercise. “Those endorphins coupled with a balanced diet really help to combat negativity and provide you with the energy you need to be motivated,” Lynn concluded. For those who are struggling with addictions or self-control, a pandemic is also a great way to look for online support groups and seek the help you have been postponing for too long.