How to stay motivated when you're struggling, according to a success coach and best-selling author

• Jen Sincero wrote the best-selling book "Badass Habits" over a year ago.
• The pandemic has changed Sincero's recommendations.
• Here are three tips she has for people struggling to stay motivated during the pandemic.

A year ago, Jen Sincero lived the busy life of a best-selling author and life coach. Her packed schedule included exercise classes, meetings, writing, and plenty of social responsibilities.

When the pandemic hit, the author of "Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick" had to rethink it all.

"I personally am allowing myself to just do the minimum with what I have to do right now," Sincero told Insider. While her latest book explains to readers how they can form habits in 21-days, Sincero told Insider she suggests people be a bit kinder to themselves in our changed world.

"I'm all for being motivated, making change in our life, and accomplishing the impossible," Sincero told Insider. "But I do think that we have an unprecedented level of stress in our lives right now, no matter who we are. I think it's really important to take it easy on ourselves."

Here are three pieces of advice Sincero has for people who are struggling to form new habits right now.

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Acknowledge it's ok to be less motivated right now

Lots of people are feeling a collective pain right now and dealing with unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, and grief. If you can't accomplish the tasks you did prior to the pandemic, that's understandable.

Sincero said it's crucial to not measure yourself right now by societal standards that encourage pushing yourself to achieve. "I think it's really important if you're not feeling like you can push yourself right now, don't do it," Sincero told Insider. "If you can, wait."

If you need to nap in the middle of the day, do it. If you need to scroll a little on social media as a break from concentrating, do it.

Swap out high-intensity habits that feel daunting

It's natural to feel more drained than you usually would right now. Stress, anxiety, and depression can all contribute to tiredness.

"I have so little energy. The pandemic knocked it out of me in a way that I'm really sort of surprised," Sincero told Insider.

If a lack of energy has made your old preferred ways of exercising like high-intensity cardio feel impossible, Sincero recommends doing things that feel more feasible.

Meditation, yoga, and tai chi can all help center your mind and body.

Set more realistic goals for the habits you want to develop

Sincero said while you can try to develop new habits during the pandemic, it's also fine to adjust your expectations and have more patience with yourself. If you want to be a runner, but hitting your goal of five miles a day has been hard, just run as far as you think you can run each day. Even if you aren't hitting the mark, you're still getting in the practice of running every day.

"Step it up when it's a little less stressful," Sincero said.