anxiety

Controlling a video game with your mind seems like an empty advancement. It is the door to treatments for depression or anxiety

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Although a good part of the technology industry is focusing on innovations that we are not very clear about how they can help us (there is the waste in AI and humanoid robotics), there are those who are researching something that can open an unthinkable door for thousands of people: brain-computer interfaces. That’s where they come into play brain chips. Neuralink It is the product with the best-known commercial name and the one that seemed to open the way in a more public way, something that China has followed with an important boost in these brain chips. The technology has been tested on humans for years, but there are two problems: it is a very invasive technology and, furthermore, learning to master this computer implanted in the brain It is a complex process that requires training. Yale University, however, is developing another way: an external, non-invasive brain interface that wants to fix these two problems. The problem is that it is not as pretty as it sounds. Work with the brain, not against it A few days ago, researchers at Yale University they published a study in Nature Neuroscience in which they detailed that the idea of ​​this project is to take advantage of the natural geometry of neuronal activity and not fight against it when a user can control software with their mind. The one of the fMRI-based BCIs (brain-computer interfaces) (functional magnetic resonance) is a field that has been explored for some time, but has an efficiency problem. It requires many long training sessions for a user to end up achieving modest results at best. Additionally, up to a third of participants never mastered the software. The twist that the Yale researchers have taken is to use the natural geometry of the brain. That is, taking advantage of the “consolidated pathways” of our brain activity so that technology works in favor of these existing pathways instead of forcing the brain to create completely new pathways. Result? Less friction and faster, more efficient learning. For landing it, we are not talking about a brain chipbut to introduce a person into an MRI machine not to do a standard scan, but so that that person can take advantage of the capabilities of real-time MRIs to move something in software. In this case, an avatar in a video game. That is to say, it does scan, all the time, in fact, while another program reads the data on the fly. To do this, they used a series of their own algorithms to discover the individual geometry of each person and, from that unique “map”, they created a closed system that read the user’s brain scan every two seconds and translated the data into video game movements. They tested three configurations: One based on the most natural pathways used by the brain. Others based on also natural routes, but less dominant. And a third based on pathways that the brain does not produce naturally, but that it builds. According to researchers, it’s like paving a road from scratch. The result was very positive: Participants learned to control the avatar using thought alone in less than an hour when the BCI interface aligned with that more natural brain map. Sometimes even in less time. When the system moved away from natural geometry, participants could control the avatar, but the time spent was much greater. The conclusion is that using this adjustment between the machine and the natural pathways of each individual’s brain, a physical reorganization of the brain has been observed to align with what the interface is demanding. The researchers observed that this reorganization spread even to brain regions that were not being used at the time, demonstrating that there is a kind of domino effect in the brain as it adapts to the changes. It’s very promising, but there is a problem: the necessary equipment. We are talking about that, to achieve these results, users had their heads inside an MRI machine, huge and very expensive equipment which is far from being as practical as brain chips claim to be. That is to say, it is not so much a “street” technology that allows people who need it to find an improvement in their abilities, but that does not mean that it remains a mere discovery. Something like this has interesting implications that can open the door to various applications in fields such as mental health (noting that it can be effective in developing treatments for depression or anxiety), motor and communication disorders or even cognitive improvement. Something more “clinical”, not common at home, although Erica Busch, first author of the study, opens the door to the construction of new generation video game systems controlled directly with the mind. But well, in the end, more than a commercial product, Busch herself points out that This discovery is more useful in the field of research. “We spend a lot of resources trying to become better versions of ourselves through education, practice or therapy. Understanding the structure of our own mind and brain can help us do this much more effectively.” Images | Yale In Xataka | Synchron is Neuralink’s great rival in the race for brain chips. Now you have an ace up your sleeve: ChatGPT

This is how Sunday anxiety is destroying us

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It’s Sunday afternoon. The sun begins to set, the hours of free time slip through our fingers and, almost without realizing it, the Garfield that we all have inside begins to emerge. That visceral rejection of Mondays since the previous afternoon seems, at first glance, to be a harmless personality trait or a simple adult tantrum that is easy to joke about. However, behind that knot in the stomach that assails us at nightfall lies a complex epidemic of work stress, hyperconnectivity and excessive expectations. We usually dismiss this discomfort with a couple of memes on social networks or by baptizing it with viral terms. However, at a clinical level, the phenomenon requires nuances. The general health psychologist Alejandra de Pedro, specialist in emotional management, warns us in interview on the double side of labels such as Sunday scaries: “Putting labels is very useful: it helps us feel less alone and seek help more effectively. At the same time, over-labeling has the problem that we can trivialize things, as has happened with ‘I have OCD’ or ‘I’m depressed’.” De Pedro insists on the importance of discerning between simple laziness to go to work and a clinical problem of anticipatory anxiety. The prelude to burnout The data place Spain in a scenario of particular vulnerability. 40% of workers in our country link their stress, anxiety or depression directly to their job, far exceeding the European average (29%) and placing us among the countries with the greatest labor anguish on the continent. When that Sunday sadness transforms into a wall of anxiety, irritability and even physical symptoms, it stops being an anecdote. Brigida H. Madsen, expert cited by Vogue, points out that if “gastrointestinal discomfort” or acute feelings of rejection appear, we are crossing the line into depression syndrome. burnout. Medical institutions such as Mayo Clinic support this vision: he burnout It is not a simple individual failure to manage stress, but a shared responsibility derived from unaffordable burdens on the part of companies. Added to this structural pressure is global uncertainty. Morra Aarons-Mele, host of “The Anxious Achiever” podcast underlines in Washington Post that employment is our source of livelihood and status; Therefore, in the face of constant headlines about economic instability and possible layoffs, it is logical that the body reacts in a “visceral” way. The work model also works against us. Dr. Audrey Tang explains in Euronews that much of this anguish is born from fear of “the unknown” and the feeling of having to start Monday “at full speed”, wondering what new hell awaits us today. Furthermore, Professor André Spicer argues in his column in Guardian that the widespread use of teleworking (and the fact of working from home on Fridays) has drastically blurred the boundaries between leisure and employment, making the physical return to routine psychologically much harder. Physically, the impact is devastating. The body enters a state of “allostatic load”that is, tension raises cortisol —which rises 23% steadily on Mondays— and collapses the immune system, reducing T lymphocytes and cellular defenses, which facilitates neuroinflammation processes linked to depression. The anatomy of anxiety To draw the line between apathy and disorder, Alejandra de Pedro emphasizes that in psychology the criterion is not qualitative, but quantitative. “Two people can have the same symptoms, but the difference is in the degree to which those symptoms affect the person,” he clarifies. Feeling a little nervous 15 minutes before going to sleep is not comparable to waking up on Sunday with a cramped stomach. One of the great myths of Sunday scaries is that it is solved by “better organizing.” De Pedro refutes this idea: “Anxious people often tend to control and fall into the fallacy of ‘if I finish everything before going home, then I won’t have anxiety.’” The real root of the problem is hyperconnectivity. By carrying the office in your pocket, you create the false illusion that everything is urgent. The solution, the psychologist points out, is not to do more, but to set firm limits: not look at the company cell phone and be present in the here and now. But the origin of this anxiety is not always internal. Science reveals toxic dynamics in offices. A study from Cornell and Northeastern universities uncovered “motivational oversimplification”: Bosses tend to assign extra, routine workloads to employees they see as most motivated, mistakenly assuming that “their passion will protect them from burnout.” Curiously, this discomfort does not only punish those who hate their jobs. Ilke Inceoglu, from the University of Exeter Business School, shows that it affects people who love their profession but maintain unrealistic expectations of themselves. It is the result of a “toxic perfectionism” that subordinates personal worth to constant achievement. The survival decalogue Psychology offers concrete strategies to deactivate the weekend time bomb, divided into three key time phases that help us regain control of our free time. Starting with what we could call the Friday firewall, experts agree on the importance of brain dump or “mind dump.” Alejandra de Pedro explains that worry is nothing more than an attempt by the brain to solve a problem. So instead of passively ruminating over the weekend, sitting down to write down your pending tasks before leaving the office channels that anxious energy and gives our mind the feeling that it’s already working on it. To this cognitive download we must add the visual order. The psychologist Lara Ferreiro remember to order the desk is not just cleaning, but deciding. A clear environment drastically reduces the stimuli that overload the prefrontal cortex and, consequently, lowers cortisol levels. The second phase is to protect Sunday. To achieve this, the first step is to avoid self-sabotage. “The best thing you can do is treat Sunday as if it were Saturday,” advises De Pedro. Stopping making plans or avoiding meeting friends with the excuse of “getting psyched” for the work week only gives disproportionate power to anxiety. Instead, you could look for what is known as “slow dopamine”: Socialize with … Read more

This Netflix series is a great portrait of addiction and anxiety

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There are series that work because the plot is engaging, and there are series that work because they delve deeply into how our heads work. ‘Queen’s Gambit managed to do both at the same time, and in fact, five years after its premiere in Netflixcan boast an impeccable and unusual track record: researchers cite her in academic psychiatry journals to explain how addictions work in the real world. Released in October 2020 and created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, the miniseries already has 112.8 million views according to platform data (it is the most viewed miniseries in its history) and won the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries in addition to the Emmy for Best Directing of a Limited Series. But what makes this sketch of the life of Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) special, a chess prodigy who grows up in an orphanage where she develops a dependence on tranquilizers and, later, alcohol, is that researchers from ‘The British Journal of Psychiatry‘They analyzed it in 2022 as a clinical study case. What the series does well is not turning the protagonist’s rooms into a decorative element around her genius. According to the publication, hThere are three consistent triggers for Beth’s substance use. throughout the series: shame, anxiety and isolation, all three in a chain. A defeat damages her self-image, anxiety about revenge paralyzes her, and consumption arises as an avoidance mechanism and the isolation that this consumption causes, which aggravates the first two factors. A perfect storm with very recognizable symptoms for psychologists. And also the solution to the problems presented by the series makes sense: other characters reveal to him the real cost of continuing to drink, others help him restore some of his damaged self-esteem, and the collective support of his rivals allows him not to relapse. According to the study, resolving underlying issues is what opens the door to sobriety. All in a series that not only has a first-class setting and performances, but can also boast scientific support in aspects that are often ignored in fiction. In Xataka | One of Prime Video’s main action heroes returns to the platform today, although in a new format

why in moments of fatigue or anxiety we look for certain flavors and textures

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Reaching the end of the work day, closing the computer and having very high anxiety levels are the ideal components for going to the kitchen almost automatically. And we are not looking for a healthy food like a salad or an apple, but the brain seems to be urgently asking for a pizza or a tub of ice cream. And it is not a question of gluttony, but it is pure and simple neurobiology. The evolution. Something we know quite well is that the human relationship with food completely transcends the mere caloric need for survival, but is one of the most important primitive tools. of emotional regulation. But it doesn’t always work in the sense of eating the more calories the better. And it is that, while the chronic stress and fatigue push us towards a carbohydrate binge, deeply negative emotions, such as extreme sadness or grief over losing someone, cause exactly the opposite: the hermetic closure of the stomach. Because? When we talk about stress eating, science is quite clear that this pattern does not seek to satisfy the “physiological hunger” that we all feel in order to survive and that appears gradually and is satisfied with almost anything. Here we talk specifically of an “emotional hunger” that appears suddenly and is satisfied with a very specific, and not at all healthy, food. The blame for this food kidnapping lies with to a large extentthe hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This is a very important system that in a situation of acute stress, such as when a car is about to hit us, releases a large amount of adrenaline. In short, it is a system that prepares us to fight or flee, and logically suppresses appetite because in this moment of danger, the last thing the body ‘thinks about’ is digestion, but rather it ‘thinks’ about sending blood to our muscles so that they function at maximum performance. The problem It comes with the chronic stress that work, bills or studies can generate, where the body is constantly releasing cortisol. And this is fundamental, since as demonstrated the classic study According to researcher Elissa Epel, high levels of reactive cortisol alter satiety signals and send a message that warns that the body is in constant danger and needs store energy quickly in case it is necessary in the future. This is where we see that our overall system was developed at a time where food was not always availableand has not yet adapted to ‘modern life’ so as not to have these types of reactions. The carbohydrates. We’re not just looking for calories, we’re looking for neurochemical rescue. This is where the consumption of sugars and fats explosively activates the brain’s reward system, releasing a flood of dopamine which is a form of self-medication, since here food temporarily acts as a buffer from emotional discomfort. In addition, simple carbohydrates play a fundamental role in the synthesis of serotonin, the neurotransmitter associated with well-being and calm. In this way, when eating a plate of pasta or a sweet, we make it easier for tryptophan crosses into the brain and the result is a real, although ephemeral, calming effect that conditions our brain to repeat the action every time we feel very overwhelmed. The case of sadness. If stress pushes us to the refrigerator, acute pain and grief keep us away from it, since in the case of being sad it is quite common to have hardly any appetite, which is also one of the most classic symptoms of some types of depression. Something that we see as quite logical, but the reality is that we have seen that food is comforting; The obligatory question would be: why doesn’t it help with sadness? The reason. Grieving the loss of someone very dear to us establishes in the body a state of biological alarm that is different from the daily stress generated by work or studies. Deep sadness activates the sympathetic nervous system, keeping it in exhausting hypervigilance, and this is a problem. The problem is that digestion is managed by the parasympathetic system and the vagus nerve and in this state of sadness it is completely inhibited, because when the sympathetic system is activated, the parasympathetic is ‘turned off’. The most immediate consequence is that the gastric emptying slows down drasticallycausing nausea, a knotted feeling in the stomach, and a physical inability to swallow or digest solids. Priorities. In this way, the body in its maximum state of sadness prioritizes psychic survival and emotional processing of the trauma that has been experienced over routine metabolic maintenance. From here, the food simply loses its flavor, and the inability to feel pleasure blocks the release of dopamine that would normally give us an appetizing and caloric bite. A cultural question. Since the state of grief causes someone to be unable to eat properly or do everyday tasks such as cooking, all human cultures have developed eating rituals around grief and death. This translates into sharing food in these times of grief or at least making it available to anyone who needs it. But we have also seen how in some cultures food is shared after a funeral to reinforce the social fabric. Here food acts as a tangible reminder that life goes on and that the individual has not been isolated from the group. Images | Drazen Zigic in Magnific Robin Stickel In Xataka | Eating in front of a screen is not a modern mania: it is the new social ritual

How your city parks have become the best therapy for modern anxiety

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A morning walk through almost any urban park reveals an increasingly common scene: calisthenics bars, wooden benches and grass esplanades have ceased to be simple elements of the landscape and have become the new fashionable gym. Accustomed to the monotony of traditional indoor gyms, with their relentless fluorescent lights and repetitive music on loop, going out to exercise in the park offers a radical and revitalizing change of scenery. As Nikki Fraser explains to the The New York Timesexercise physiologist, we tend to take training in our adulthood too seriously, seeing it as a strict “obligation” (something we have to do) rather than an “opportunity”, but by looking at a park, we regain the wonderful possibility of “playing”. The rise of the street as a training area. What has happened is that strength routines have left the basements and pavilions to conquer the streets. To perform a full-body workout, it is no longer essential to have complex machinery; All you need is a park bench and a piece of grass to perform routines that include climbing steps (step-ups) and push-ups, to lunges, squats and triceps dips. In addition, nature itself provides an extra physical challenge: unlike the repetitive monotony of a treadmill, the outdoor environment forces our muscles to constantly adapt to uneven terrain, which promotes balance, improves agility and burns calories dynamically. “The great moderation.” Behind this movement towards asphalt and grass is a profound generational and economic change. Young people are changing the classic bars for sports when it comes to socializing, a phenomenon that economists, as Joe Wadfordthey have already baptized as “the great moderation.” Instead of allocating a large portion of their monthly budget to going out at night and having to deal with an inevitable hangover the next day, many young people They prefer to invest their money and time in ways that are more rewarding for your health. In fact, as we already analyzed When explaining why the gym is the new bar to combat the loneliness epidemic, the data supports than 39% more young people Generation Z, compared to Generation fitness to meet new people who share your same interests. And there is science behind this. A systematic review long-term clinical trials that compared outdoor exercise versus indoor exercise revealed a revealing fact: of the 99 comparisons analyzed, the 25 that showed statistically significant results favored, in all cases, outdoor exercise. This natural environment encourages higher levels of positive emotions, tranquility and motivation. If that were not enough, simple exposure to sunlight provides a natural boost of vitamin D and works as a powerful antidote to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Beyond the muscle. The true impact of this trend transcends body aesthetics and economic savings; It has a profoundly transformative and therapeutic power on a social level. The BBC reported the case of Raymond Goodfield, a 53-year-old man who, due to depression and his dependence on alcohol, had ended up living on the streets. After joining free weekly outdoor gym sessions in his local park, his life took a radical turn: he stopped drinking, lost his shyness and found a supportive community. To make these urban spaces truly inclusive and not just a haven for elite athletes, researchers at Loughborough University have worked closely with the community in the design of new park equipment. This machinery is designed to improve balance and postural control, which makes it suitable for a very wide range of users, including those who are undergoing physical rehabilitation processes. A paradigm shift. All this establishes a strong contrast with the wellness trends that prevail in exclusive areas of cities. In the era of “cuqui fitness”where sport has disguised itself as therapy to charge you more money, we have seen how the industry commodifies calm. People pay large sums for low-impact disciplines or “somatic” classes, which consist of making tiny movements to try to relax the exhausted nervous system, turning well-being into a luxury item. The park, however, offers the rebellion of simplicity: an alternative where reconnecting with nature and forming a community act as that same escape valve against modern pressure, but completely free of charge. The triumph of simplicity. In short, using calisthenics bars, grass and benches as training tools is much more than a clever trick to avoid paying a sports club fee. It is the reflection of a society that seeks to heal. Going out to exercise outdoors represents an instinctive response to an excessively digitalized and isolated world. At the end of the day, the park gym reminds us that the goal is no longer just to sculpt the body, but to build real bonds, nourish ourselves with vitamin D and claim our most basic right: to go out and play again. Image | Magnificent Xataka | The big lie of “cuqui fitness”: sport has been disguised as therapy to charge you more money

Excess control is triggering the anxiety of an entire generation of children

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They are there for everything. They solve problems before they appear, supervise every school assignment, do every basic procedure, intercede with teachers and leave no room for failure. This description, which for decades has been disguised as ‘unconditional love’ and ‘protection’, for science is simply helicopter parenting. A way of being parents that, although it seems to be very beneficial for the little ones, the reality is that it is taking its toll on the autonomy and emotions of current generations. A confirmed epidemic. When researchers look at the impact of helicopter parenting on a large scale, there really isn’t much of a doubt. For this we can go to a recent Norwegian systematic review which analyzed 38 independent studies, where it was found that between 70% and 90% of the research points to a relationship between excessive parental control and mental distress. And, on the other hand, no study pointed to a reduction in stress. This is reinforced by a extensive meta-analysis of 53 studieswhich shows that this predictive style drastically reduces self-efficacy, worsens academic performance and increases different mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety in young people. No room to mature. The consequences of constantly “flying over” your children’s lives reach their tipping point when they reach university or enter the job market, where they suddenly have to mature overnight to face the usual problems without parental protection. Although we have already seen some Spanish universities asking parents not to go to higher education centers to claim in the name of their children that they are of legal age. And that these generations that have been so protected is later translated in less personal determination, a greater fear of intimacy when faced with something difficult and problems of social integration. The fact of not having faced frustrations in controlled environments because they have been avoided, ultimately leads to a fear of failure and, therefore, an avoidance of facing problems. Ultimately, maturation towards a functional adult is delayed. The academic impact. In this sense, already in 2017 a large study pointed out that university students with “helicopter parents” report lower academic performance, with worse social integration and, above all, with greater dependence on medications such as anxiolytics to deal with the psychological discomfort caused by the new reality. The figures behind it. Here, a recent work carried out with 697 Turkish adolescents pointed out that mothers have overprotective attitudes in 15.% of cases, compared to 8.8% that corresponds to fathers. Furthermore, the problem has early roots, since longitudinal studies show that high parental control is capable of predicting future depression in children. since 11 years old. And in the Spanish context, some analyzes suggest that structural factors such as continuous intensive work hours combined with pressure for academic success outside of school may be aggravating these patterns in current generations, creating a perfect breeding ground for overprotection. The mental cost. The psychological mechanism behind this emotional disaster is well documented and indicates that helicopter parenting frustrates the most basic psychological needs of minors, and above all autonomy. By removing them from different situations, the message sent to them is that they are not capable of doing it on their own, causing their self-esteem to plummet and they fail to value their abilities. This, in complicated situations such as decision-making in adulthood, is where the true effect of this overprotection will be seen, since it has always been resolved. And this is something that will mark them a lot. Images | freepik In Xataka | Adolescents up to 32 years old: neuroscience explains why the brain takes much longer than we thought to mature

We have been using our pets to relieve our anxiety. And now the stress is on them

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When you come home after an exhausting day, those who have a pet at home, the truth is that they hope to be received by their unconditional affection, since for many it is the best therapy against anxiety. And this is where, for many years, we have thought that our dogs or cats act as a protective shield against external chaos, but the truth is that we are seeing that what is really happening is that absorb our stresssomething that, just like what happens to us, is not good at all. It is transmitted. Here are several scientific studies published in recent years that have begun to draw a clear picture of what ethologists call “interspecific emotional contagion”, making animals authentic mirrors of our mental state. One of the most important studies was published in 2019 in Scientific Reports and collected different measures of long-term stress. To do so, the researchers decided to analyze the concentration of cortisolwhich is the main stress hormone, in the hair of 58 dogs and in that of their respective owners for an entire year. The results. Here it was seen that cortisol levels were synchronized, meaning that when the human had cortisol peaks, because he was quite stressed, the dog also had it. In this way, the authors of the study concluded that it is dogs that “reflect” the stress level of their humans and not the other way around. Furthermore, recent research suggests that dogs are capable of perceiving subtle physiological changes in us, such as body odors associated with human stress, responding to them with greater anxiety or adopting more pessimistic postures and behaviors. And this is something that shows how they are true mirrors of what happens to us. The problems of work. If we thought that teleworking or mulling over a work problem only affects us humans, the truth is that we are very wrong. This is what science tells us in different articles that point out that work rumination, which is the habit of mulling over the same topic during our free time, takes a direct toll on our pets, as it is associated with significant increases in stress in dogs. And this is explained because, although we are physically next to our pets, the fact that we are thinking about a topic that obsesses and worries us causes us to not have a good interaction with our pet so that they feel completely safe. And this logically manifests itself with mental suffering. How do we know? We sometimes associate animal stress only with when they have to make a visit to the vet or when there is a big bang, like when a firecracker is thrown, but the reality is different. Here animals, when they live in an unstable environment, such as with a lot of noise, conflicts or many hours of solitude, trigger a series of changes that are often misinterpreted by their owners as “bad behavior.” But here the stress in animals can manifest with constant restlessness, the tendency to hide, excessive attachment, non-stop barking, furniture destructive behavior and much more. That is why, when faced with unusual behavior, we must begin to analyze the situation at home, since it can be contagious, as happens with younger children who also feel the stress at home. Images | lookstudio on Freepik In Xataka | We have stuffed the Gibraltar monkeys with Doritos. His solution has been to eat dirt as if it were omeprazole

Researchers removed Instagram and TikTok from 300 young people to see if their anxiety decreased. The results speak for themselves

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The debate about whether social networks are the new tobacco for the mental health of the generation Z It’s been on for years. There are many young people who They can’t go without watching TikTok completing the streak with their friends, uploading stories of what they eat to Instagram or simply away from the cell phone. And this is something that can be tremendously harmful. What we knew. Until now we could make one of them, and parents undoubtedly remember this message when they spend many hours in front of the phone. Even companies offer the tools to be able to limit the amount of time that we spend in an app and it even applies limits to us. With numbers. But now science has shed light on this problem with a published study in JAMA Network Open that provides concrete data. The premise was simple: ask a group of young adults (ages 18 to 24) to reduce their consumption of social networks this week. Once done, we wanted to see if the symptoms of anxiety, depression or insomnia were reduced. And it is precisely the excessive use of social networks is related to depressionsince it generates social isolation, low self-esteem, cyberbullying or even physical disorders due to the effects of blue light from the screen. So… Does giving up the cell phone also improve the quality of life of young people? The study. To do so, they not only focused on what users said they did with their mobile phones, since lying can be very easy in this case. What they did was passively record what was done with the phone through the ‘digital phenotyping‘. In total, there were 373 participants in this study, of which only 295 were able to complete the intervention, which was completely voluntary. They only had to reduce consumption for one week of the main social networks: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X. The results. Simply put, the results showed significant clinical improvement across key areas after just seven days. The data indicated that depression symptoms were reduced by 24.8%, anxiety by 16.1% and sleep problems fell by 14.5%. Interestingly, the study found that the effects were much more pronounced in those participants who already had symptoms of moderate or severe depression at the start of the experiment. Don’t let go of your cell phone. A priori, one might think that when a young person automatically leaves social networks aside, their cell phone will be of absolutely no use to them. But nothing could be further from the truth. He digital phenotyping revealed that although social media use fell from about 2 hours a day to just 30 minutes, total screen time increased slightly by 4.5% and participants spent 6.3% more time at home. In this way, users replaced the infinite scrolling of TikTok with other digital activities such as messaging, browsing the internet or even playing games. However, despite still being glued to the screen, mental health improved. This reinforces a theory that is gaining weight among experts: the problem is not the screen itself, but how we use it. The study points out that objective use time has a weak association with mental health, since what is really harmful is “problematic use”, such as negative social comparison or emotional addiction to platforms. Easier apps to leave. We can all have more ‘affection’ for a specific social network, which is surely more difficult to stop using. In this case, it was seen that it was easier for users to reduce the time they spent on TikTok or X. But Instagram or Snapchat were the “hard bones” to beat. Specifically, 67.8% of Instagram users and 48.8% of Snapchat users failed to comply with the reduction and continued to use them significantly during the detox process. It is not a treatment. Although the percentages sound like a victory, it is necessary to maintain the usual scientific skepticism. Dr. John Torous, co-author of the study, warns in statements collected for him New York Times that reducing networks “would certainly not be your first or only form of treatment (for mental health problems),” although it is worth experimenting with. This focuses on the fact that the study has some limitations such as the lack of a reference control group and it was not seen how long the detoxification process from social networks lasted. But what did not improve was loneliness, since eliminating these social networks in people can have the opposite effect by also cutting the connection link that unites them with other people. Images | Panos Sakalakis Vitaly Gariev In Xataka | Social networks were once a place to tell our lives. Now the trend is different: “zero posts”

Russia’s order has triggered anxiety in Europe. Germany and France are already preparing for the worst: 1,000 injured per day

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To the incursions of Russia in the European airspace that took place last week In Poland, Romania and Estoniaanother in Denmark has joined with chaotic consequences for airlines. NATO has raised the voice while Moscow seems to test the allied cohesion in the Baltic. In the background: a series of movements that indicate two things: anxiety has shot in Europe, and some begin to prepare for a war scenario. Denmark does not give credit. Denmark has described As an “unprecedented attack” the incursions of drones that have forced to close the airports of Copenhagen and Oslo for hours, leaving tens of thousands of stranded passengers, in an episode that encompasses the wave of aerial rapes and drones attacks in past days To Poland, Romania and Estonia. The aircraft appeared from multiple directions, alternating lights and then disappearing, and the Danish authorities attribute them to “a capable operator”, while the Kremlin denies it. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen He talked about The “more serious” aggression against a critical infrastructure of Denmark and did not rule out any hypotheses, opinion supported by leaders such as Ukrainian President Zelenski and by EU spokesmen, who see a pattern of reckless actions by Russia. NATO celebrated meetings Under article 4condemned the violations and stressed that Rwill effort capabilities and deterrenceand some officials already contemplate the possibility of more forceful responses (even demolition) if these provocations are repeated. France and preparations. In France, the controversy has exploded after a Publication of Le Canard Enchaînéwhich revealed a letter sent in July by the Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin, in which she asked French health agencies to prepare for a possible “major commitment” In March 2026. The document urged hospitals to be ready to serve several thousand soldiers during periods that could extend 10 to 180 dayswhich included both French and foreign troops. The news, despite proceeding from a satirical environment, generated accusations that Emmanuel Macron would be secretly planning the country to the war against Russia. The extreme right, represented by the Eurodiputa Thierry Mariani, It went further suggesting that a conflict would allow to suspend the presidential elections of 2027. The official clarification. The Ministry of Health He did not deny authenticity of the letter, but he clarified his goal: it was a Preventive Planning Faced with possible risks and threats that could affect the hospital system, including the arrival of a large number of victims of an international conflict. The measure, according to the Ministerial Crisis Center, sought to guarantee the capacity of the civil health system to absorb a massive flow of military patients in case France, as a member of NATO and ally of Ukraine, was indirectly involved in a war set. It was not, therefore, a war plan per sebut an exercise in advance of contingencies. Germany and preparations. It happens that Germany It has begun To explicitly plan how to face an eventual large -scale conflict between NATO and Russia, the scene that many alliance analysts place Around 2029. Reuters explained That the calculation that marks this preparation is as sober as disturbing: up to 1,000 soldiers Germans wounded per day may require medical care in case of an open confrontation, a figure that the inspector general of Health, Ralf Hoffmann, qualifies as realistic based on the intensity of the fighting and the units involved. Ukraine lessons. The war in Ukraine has radically changed the nature of the injuries. If the bullet wounds predominated before, today the panorama is dominated by the devastating drones effectsMERODERE AND EXPLOSIVE MORMERS, which generate amputations, burns and multiple trauma. Hoffmann Underline That the “death corridor” of ten kilometers on each side of the Ukrainian front, plagued by hostile UAVs, shows how immediate medical evacuations have become almost impossible: injured should often be stabilized for hours under constant fire before being able to be transferred. How to evacuate. With this horizon, Berlin is studying Expand your abilities of flexible medical transport, inspired by the Ukrainian experience with hospital trains. It is considered to incorporate trains, buses and a greater number of sanitary aircraft, with the aim of guaranteeing staggered evacuations: initial attention in the front, intermediate stabilization and final transfer to hospitals within the German territory. This medical logistics chain demands a robust, decentralized and capable system under air and electronic threat. The plan contemplates that the injured receive definitive care especially in civil hospitals, with an estimated volume of 15,000 reserved beds within a national total capacity of 440,000. The coordination between the military medical service and the civil health system will be essential, and the medical body of the Armed Forces, currently 15,000 troops, must be extended significantly to face the magnitude of the challenge. The Kremlin and article 5. Explained the Financial Times That all this climate of extreme anxiety in Europe possibly responds to a Moscow tactic: to demonstrate that the NATO collective defense clause, Article 5it lacks real value. A hesitant response to a provocation could open the door to Russia trying to “break down” small European states without facing the block as a whole. Scenarios such as a land incursion under the pretext of protecting Russian minorities in Baltic countries are part of the recurring fears of military planners. To do this, Moscow has uncertainty that surrounds Washingtonwhose contribution represents about 40 % of the military capacities of the Alliance in Europe. The unknowns Trump. The American factor is decisive. With units of Himars Artillery And tanks already deployed in the Baltic, the military presence is significant, but the key question is what Donald Trump would do in case of open aggression. Distrust is mutual: in Washington some see the Baltic as excessively ideological and aggressive against Moscow, while in Tallin the vote of the United States is remembered with Russia in the UN as An alert signal. The president’s volatility adds an unpredictable element: as well as surprising authorizing Attacks to IranI could react unexpectedly in a crisis in Eastern Europe. Between fear and dependence. The great European powers … Read more

We thought that Sunday’s anxiety in the afternoon was a laziness problem. Actually, it’s about working balance

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Every weekend, millions of people experience a sensation that is increasing as Sunday is coming and the first day of the work week is approaching. According to A study Prepared by LinkedIn, this phenomenon, known as “Sunday anxiety“or” Sunday syndrome “, affects up to 80% of the workers surveyed, being more intense in the employees of generation Z with 94% incidence. In fact, this phenomenon is so studied that they have even managed to start time: the first symptoms tend to appear From 15:58 on Sunday, According to a survey which was carried out in 2020. The usual thing is to attribute this anguish Sunday to laziness or to the desire to stretch leisure time to the maximum at the expense of neglecting labor obligations. However, its origin is a bit deeper and is related to the abrupt step of leisure to duty. Factors behind Sunday anxiety According to published by The countryanticipated anxiety by the arrival of Monday is manifested with varied symptoms: from stomach discomfort and difficulty sleeping to melancholy and fear, depending on each person. According to psychologist Marisol Delgado, a specialist in psychotherapy by the European Federation of Psychologists Associations (EFPA), “Sunday afternoon is one of the few moments in which many professionals can stop reflecting on their life and wander after five or six frantic days.” Sunday’s anguish not only depends on personal emotions, but it is influenced by multiple factors structural and cultural. One of the most prominent is Labor exhaustionthe overload of tasks and the poor management of them throughout the week. In short, the job anxiety It does not have its origin in the laziness of returning to work instead of continuing to enjoy leisure time, but of the anxiety produced by the Labor overload and the lack of free time until next weekend. In other words, of a Bad balance between personal and work life. As Delgado explained, “people who suffer from this disorder are usually those who focus on the negative of things, those who do not know how to manage their free time, those with a clear avoidance strategy In complicated situations or those that have little tolerance to frustration and do not accept that things end, that the weekend ends. “ The feeling of guilt for not having fulfilled all the weekend plans, or for Not having enjoyed free time As expected, it helps to increase the feeling of discomfort and frustration before the work week starts again. The tendency to compare with others Through social networks It adds to anguish, especially when it is perceived that the weekend itself It has been less satisfactory than that of othersincreasing that feeling of discomfort. Strategies for a bad Sunday Although Sunday anxiety may seem difficult to handle, there are effective resources to reduce its impact both at the moment and in the long term. Among the most recommended is the create a relaxing routine For Sunday night and avoid leaving tedious or home tasks for that day. Try to advance them to Friday or Saturday morning to release your agenda for the rest of the weekend. Similarly, minimize Monday’s negative connotations planning an activity that is fun for Monday: a film session or is with a friend. In short, schedule an activity that makes you wishing that Monday arrives To do it. Another strategy consists of Organize and plan the weeksince having clarity about the objectives and tasks facilitates stress management and helps to reduce intrusive thoughts. When the discomfort persists, it is recommended Search for professional supportcommunicate the needs to the work environment to prevent Those first symptoms of lack of balance between working life and leisure time can derive in mental health problems. In Xataka | If you have wondered how much free time you need to be happy, science has an answer Image | Unspash (Hannah Popowski, Annie Spratt)

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