For me and I’m guessing for most of us, the disruptions to daily life presented by the coronavirus crisis have made it difficult to envision a bright future. I personally feel I’m in a bit of a crisis, without having clear goals to walk towards, I’m trying to look inward, on a spiritual search, trying to control my mind… trying to surrender to the Universe (or the Source, God, or however you all it). Trying to enjoy the present moment without focusing so much about the future, because after all, it doesn’t even exist.

At least I have a certain control over my choices when I eat, when I move your body, when I engage in relationships, when I consume information, and when I nurture myself. But it’s not just about choosing nutrient dense foods and getting more exercise. We also need to decide how to focus our minds, choosing positive thoughts and love over negative thoughts and fear. I have read lots of studies stating that brain imaging shows that people who focus on optimism and love rather than pessimism and hate are better equipped to withstand the anxiety and fear we all face—two overriding emotions for many during the viral outbreak.

I bet you ask: How do you choose optimism and love? In short, we must take time to self-reflect, show gratitude, and practice acts of kindness. These three things can shift your mind from fear and anxiety to one of joy and calm. Whether you choose to practice meditation, yoga, or breath work, taking time to self-reflect will calm your mind, reduce fear, and make you feel more hopeful about your life and the world around you.

For me, mastering my mind and controlling my anxiety is tremendously hard. I started meditating at the beginning of 2021, but let’s say I still find myself struggling to focus on my breath or distant sounds. Thankfully, a dear friend introduced me to mandalas: stress relieving colouring books for adults which help with relaxation. In other words, it is as if you were doing an active, focused meditation. They work better for me because I really do feel I’m completely focused on something and time just goes by without me even thinking about it. Some people, on the other hand, rely on jigsaw puzzles or brain games such as sudoku or cross-wards.

But coming back to how to choose optimism and love, expressing gratitude and reminding yourself of all the reasons you have to feel fortunate will infuse your mind with positivity, increase your emotional resilience, and enhance your psychological well-being. Helping others in any little way you can, whether it’s saying a kind word to a neighbour or listening with compassion to other people’s problems, activates the brain’s reward centers to stimulate greater feelings of happiness and joy.

In the context of this pandemic, especially if you are still isolated, we all need to do our homework . We need to find the coping strategies that help us manage our fear and anxiety and that will change our brain’s activity in positive ways.

On my end, I’m looking for a more meaningful connection with myself, my community, and even humanity as a whole. If there’s one blessing from the coronavirus crisis, it’s that I’m learning to know myself on a much deeper level than before.

It is a roller coaster, some days are good, some days are bad, but as everything in life: it is temporary.