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The objective of this paper is to study the bolstering effect of the psychological immunity across life span.

Though very little work has been done in the area of psychological immunity yet, still in the last few years after the pandemic, researchers have done work on positive personality traits correlated to the Psychological Immune System

There is a study, aimed to investigate whether or not health practitioners’ personality patterns act as determinants of immunity against the COVID-19 pandemic. The results found that there is a high positive correlation between psychological immunity with dimension of personality patterns (hardiness, sources, and optimism) of health practitioners. during the COVID-19 pandemic (Al - Qahtani et. .al.., 2022).

There was another study which showed that the general practitioners have significantly high levels of perceived stress and related burnout but their Psychological Immune System is influencing the stress burnout and use of coping strategies. The findings of the study also suggested that the Psychological Immune System in the body can be developed and enhanced to overcome stress (Dubey and Shahi, 2022).

It was found in a study that Resilience is a key factor in promoting psychological immunity. (Kaur and Roy, 2020)

Al-Hamdan et al. (2021) studied the relationship between psychological immunity and psychological flow among health workers in Kuwait during Corona crisis. All Psychological Immunity dimensions are found to be predictors of psychological flow, especially optimism, and self-confidence which were found as the most important predictors.

Segerstrom (2005) suggested that the impact of optimism on the immune system was dependent on the conditions under scrutiny. Consequently, it appeared that the effects of psychological stressors on the immune system could be buffered by optimism, as a disposition.

Alena Slezackova and Andreas Krafft (2016) considered Hope as a driving force of optimism in human development. They consider hope as the key to a happier future and if one loses the key, the door remains closed and if a person loses hope, he or she remains locked in adversity and helplessness.

N.K. Saksena (2020) delivered a lecture at the Indian Academy of Health Psychology and reported the important role of school-family partnerships from childhood in building up a strong Psychological Immune System.  

Gilbert and Wilson’s (2023) research has found that we often overestimate how unhappy we will be after negative events since our psychological immune system helps to shelter us from the effects of difficult circumstances.

Author and resilience expert, Anne Grady (2023) stated “The psychological immune system is an incredible buffer against the inevitable stresses of life.”

After reviewing the literature, it is found that there is a very important role of positive personality traits in enhancing the psychological immune system. It was also found that positive parenting and positive schooling also played a very crucial role in strengthening the Psychological Immune System. It is also found that people who are high on the Psychological Immune System are not affected by Infodemia and Dietrologia.

Family and school environment play an essential role in developing positive personality traits in children at an early age of life. Positive personality development of students and their academic achievement depends to a very great extent on the collaborative efforts of parents and teachers. When teachers and parents work together, they create important opportunities for school-going children to develop social, emotional and academic competencies. The collaborative efforts of parents and teachers in developing strategies for promoting children’s social, emotional and academic development which enhance their self-esteem and confidence. So, it is very important to strengthen the Psychological Immune System. We have to develop a positive personality in children in which Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and School Family Partnership (SFP) plays a very important role because a school-going child has to spend more time with his/her parents rather than with the teachers at school.  Parent-child interaction, therefore, is very meaningful in the overall development of the students.  Many personality traits of the children may be attributed to the parenting styles of their parents. SEL and SFPs both together establish effective partnerships between educators and families, and using complementary strategies to promote learning in school and at home, create optimal conditions to improve children’s academic, social, and emotional development and also enhance positive personality traits like high Self-esteem, Hope, Gratitude, Resilience, Life- satisfaction, Optimism, and Coping skills etc. It helps to strengthen their Psychological Immune System, which gives them strength to fight their daily life hassles.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) has been found to be very important at school and work. A school-going child has to spend more time with his/her parents rather than with the teachers at school. Parent-child interaction is very meaningful in the overall development of the child. Many personality traits of the children may be attributed to the parenting styles of their parents. In regard to this, the following three types of parents are viewed as hurdles in the development of the personality of their children in a positive direction. First, Over-expecting parents: Most of the Indian parents expect their children to excel in their academic performance. If the parents expect a child to get the first rank in class and in case the child gets a rank of 9^th or 10^th in the class, it doesn't mean that the child is a poor performer, but he may indulge in a mental matching process and may compare his parental expectation with his actual achievement and if he finds that comparison as unfavourable, he starts perceiving parental rejection. It may be responsible for developing many negative personality traits in his personality like frustration, negative self-image, insecurity, fear of failure, anxiety, low self-efficacy etc. In many cases, parents have the desire to see their children fulfil the unachieved goals that they might have perceived for themselves. This expectation is not bad but goal setting should be realistic. Second, Over Protective Parents: Parents who overprotect their children may also prove to be hurdles in the overall development of their children. An overprotected child may be poor in problem-solving and decision making and it continues in adulthood also. Adults who lack in problem-solving and decision-making skills face a lot of problems at their workplace or in other spheres of life. Overprotective children have also low self-esteem, low confidence, a dependent personality and poor decision-making and problem-solving skills. Third, Parents who indulge in sibling comparison: To do a comparison of your child with his/her siblings and other children is like a poison for the child's personality. Parents who indulge in sibling comparison may be responsible for developing many negative traits in the personality of their children particularly those who are compared unfavourably. When children are compared unfavourably, they may develop a sense of inferiority and poor and negative self-image. Such children may become negative attention-seekers, and aggressive in their peer group and they may also become disobedient and hostile towards parents and they may also adopt anti-social behaviour.

School Family Partnerships (SFPs) are based on the assumption that all families can contribute to children's learning and overall development and parents and teachers should share responsibility for nurturing and educating children. Family is the first school for young children and parents are the powerful role models. The most powerful lessons about ethics and morality do not come from school discussions or classes in character building. They come from family life which has a greater correlation with students' school achievement. The relationship between school climate and family involvement is reciprocal: each one feeds the other in a cyclical pattern. In a positive school climate that encourages family involvement, the parents' perceptions of the school improve. It has a positive impact on a child's academic achievement, attendance, attitude and continued education. Parents are more likely to participate in school if they receive information from teachers about classroom activities, the progress of their children and how to work with them at home.

Based on my experience with using SEL and SFP programs in school and a result of insight gained as a result of reviewing literature in the field of parenting and the overall development of children, it is my considered opinion that the importance of SEL programs to succeed in school cannot be undermined because Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and School-Family Partnership (SFP) is essential to developing positive personality traits in children and positive personality traits help to strengthen their Psychological Immune System.

SEL is the process of developing basic social and emotional competencies that serve children in all areas of life.  The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Model has identified five primary skill clusters for SEL:

1. Self-awareness,
2. Self-management,
3. Social-awareness,
4. Relationship skills,
5. Responsible decision-making.

The results of many research studies evince that these five competencies can be taught and enhancing these social and emotional skills improves children’s behaviour and achievement (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Greenberg et al., 2003; Zins, Weissberg, Wang & Walberg, 2004).

An infodemia is too much information including false or misleading information in a digital and physical environment during a disease outbreak. Information overload through social media involves sometimes factual and sometimes fake news. Some people become victims of fake news and develop their mindset according to rumour and fake news but those who are highly nerd immunity are least affected by such fake news. Those who are affected by infodemia or fake news may develop distress and mistrust about others and their interpersonal relations are also marked by such distrusts and mistrusts and they may develop dietrologia.

Dietrologia is speculating what lies behind almost everything and anything that happens. It’s a mix of conspiracy theory and gossip. Dietrologia at a personal level, group level, or international level is not conducive to a peaceful environment.  For example, during the Covid period, people were affected by some fake news and rumours. Nations also affected by dietrologia are indulging in the war for example; Russia and Ukraine, Izrail and Hamas. Lifelong learners are least affected by infodemia or dietrologia because of their knowledge and they are high on nerd immunity. Nerd immunity means becoming immune to misinformations and fake news.

The author has presented a paper on "Personality Correlates of Life-Long Learners" in a International Conference Beyond Education:Implementation of Lifelong Learning in India by CSJM University, Kanpur. It was a quantitative and qualitative study of the elderly. The results found that elderly who are life-long learners their Psychological Immune System was also very strong and it also found that they were high on some positive personality traits like Resilience, and good decision-making skills. By interview and self-made questionnaire, it was also found that the elderly whose Psychological Immune System was strong were not affected by Infodemia, Dietrologia and their Nerd Immunity was also very strong.

The psychological immune system is a powerful tool that can help us stay positive and resilient in the face of adversity. To strengthen this system, there are several strategies we can use. John R. Miles a Global Keynote speaker and author describes some ways to strengthen the Psychological Immune System.

1. Identifying Stressors and Triggers in once' life- It is essential to know what stressors trigger negative emotions for effective use of the Psychological Immune System. One needs to spend some time thinking about one’s feelings and thoughts which helps to find out any potential stressors or triggers before they become overwhelming.
2. Mindfulness Practices for Stress Reduction- Mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises can be used to reduce stress levels and improve mental well-being.
3. Exercise for Mental Health and Well-Being- Exercise has been proven to have numerous benefits on both physical and mental health. Regular exercise involves endorphins which act as natural mood boosters and exercise also increases blood flow throughout the body which resulting in improved cognitive and physical functions.
4. Developing Healthy Coping Mechanism- It has been proved in some studies cited above that a good coping mechanism is a predictor of the Psychological Immune System.
5. Reframing the Thinking Process- The psychological immune system allows us to do this by helping us reframe our thinking from a place of negativity into one that focuses on solutions rather than problems and if one’s thinking is positive, he/she will not be affected by Infodemia and Dietrologia and people with positive thinking are also high on Nerd Immunity.
6. Developing Positive Mindset- This means learning how to reframe stressful or difficult situations to see them from different perspectives. Practising self-talk techniques such as affirmations can also help to stay focused on the positives instead of getting bogged down by negativity.
7. Practicing Self-Care and Self-Compassion- Taking care of oneself is essential for effectively utilizing the psychological immune system. This includes setting boundaries for yourself and others, taking time out for relaxation activities like yoga or meditation, eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly. It’s essential to practice self-compassion when things don’t go one way, as it will help you maintain perspective during tough times so one can move forward without feeling overwhelmed or defeated.
8. Development of Gratitude and Optimism- Cultivating gratitude and optimism are critical components of successfully using the psychological immune system. Cultivating gratitude and optimism are critical components of successfully using the psychological immune system. Likewise, maintaining an optimistic outlook allows us to look beyond present difficulties towards brighter futures ahead — no matter how challenging our current circumstances may be.
9. Building Resilience- Resilience is the ability of a person to face and come back from a stressful situation. A resilient person can cope with a stressful situation and find ways to manage and come out from opposite situations. High resilience people are always ready to respond to life's challenges.
10. Improving Habits and Routines- Habits and routines can significantly impact the PIS because they can help to provide a sense of predictability and stability in our lives. This can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

The Guardian, a British daily newspaper talked about the following four ways for the better functioning of PIS.

1. Moving from negative to neutral
2. Accessing the present moment.
3. Find your meaning
4. Practicing acceptance
   

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