Building Psychological Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As psychology students, we are taught to ask questions, to become critical thinkers, skeptics, observers, evaluator, and savvy consumers of research. But is that enough to become immune to the tactics used by the media that wants to draw quick conclusions for us ( open stax  )? I put it all to the test and carefully considered each of the ten methods suggested by Forbes magazine to build psychological resiliency during the pandemic. I couldn’t help but be compelled by the idea that spending time in nature would boost my psychological resilience, as it agreed with the cognitive and biological perspectives that we learned in class and made sense to me overall. On the other hand, I wasn’t convinced that seeking stories would be an ideal method for myself or to recommend to others. 
When was the last time you compared yourself to somebody else? Was it this morning in class or reading this introduction? My point is, comparison is in our nature, for better or for worse. This is one of the reasons why I find the “seek stories”, strategy, recommended by Forbes magazine to build psychological resilience, the least compelling. In my opinion, listening to stories of human ingenuity and triumph during the pandemic makes me question whether I am doing enough. Don’t get me wrong, it is great to see others making a positive impact, but when the only positive thing I did was get out of bed that day, I can’t help but feel bad that I am not as happy as them, or that I am not using this time in isolation to change the world. Does it conflict with any methods?
Along with my past experiences influencing the verdict of this method, is the way it was portrayed by the author. I understand that the purpose of each paragraph in the article “How To Thrive During The Pandemic: 10 Strategies For Resilience Based On Brain Science”, is not to describe the research behind each method that is presented, but some suggestions won’t hurt. “Story seeking” could have a better representation if Bowser complemented her scientific terminology with a true biological perspective, topped off with integrating concrete evidence. From the perspective of a critical thinker, it seems like the author only uses neuroscience terms to sound more knowledgeable and convincing, which many journalists are guilty of (noba     ). Consequently, these scientific points don’t flow well with the intended message and left me with questions. Tell us, Bowser, what’s more important- the neuronal activity and growth that occurs while hearing stories or the personal connection you feel after? Or are they interconnected, and if so, is it correlational or causational? The author should have mentioned the methodology used in the research to satisfy the analytical minds who wish to assess further because, as NOVA says, “the strength of the science lies in its methodology”. Additionally, this method would sound more convincing if Bowser incorporated a supporting quote from the research, if applicable. One last factor that drew me away from this method is that the author spelled the word, “uncertainty” incorrectly and she wrote “cortexes” instead of “cortices”.
On a more positive note, the method for building psychological resilience that I was most compelled by and would recommend to others, was to spend time in nature. This method fits well with the cognitive and biological perspective of psychology (    ). Originally, this method caught my eye with the cognitive aspect but kept the biological perspective in me intrigued when they presented more biological evidence to support the idea that spending time in nature increases one’s psychological resiliency. The author, Bowser, states that “humans function best when they have access to and connection with nature”, which agrees with the cognitive psychological orientation that we learned in class (    ). A cognitive perspective suggests that one’s thoughts relate to their experiences and actions, so it makes sense that surrounding yourself in a particular environment, in this case, nature, can positively impact your thoughts and feelings (    ). Further research with the links provided made me see things from a biological perspective too. For example, Lee et al suggests the possibility that the increased brain function and performance in participants who were exposed to the green roof can be attributed to boosts to sub-cortical arousal and cortical attention control (   roof study  ). Although this was only the authors sharing their informed opinion, they still made it a point to acknowledge that there are specific biological functions behind the behaviours of someone who spends time in nature, which represents the thought process of someone with a biological orientation in psychology. Additionally, this method fulfils the psychological factor of the biopsychological model that is said to determine one’s overall health (   ).
I am now convinced that spending time in nature is my best bet to build psychological resiliency, and it is time to put a plan in action. A way that I could implement this method is to alter my routine of waking up with just enough time to get ready and rush to school, in order to fit in some time in nature. I will now put aside more time in my morning to take my dog for a walk through the fields, so that I can soak in vitamin D to reduce stress levels, experience improved cognitive function and give my brain the right start to the day. 
During a pandemic, we can all use as much help as we can get when it comes to mental wellbeing, and these ten methods are a great place to start. My first recommendation wouldn’t be to seek meaning through stories about human ingenuity, but rather immerse yourself in an environment that will positively impact many aspects of your mental wellbeing. Do your brain a favour and take a minute to let your stress levels plummet, improve your health, and increase performance. Experience the cognitive function and mental health benefits that Mother Nature has to offer; experience what it feels like to become psychologically resilient.