In a webinar for the Society for Research on Adolescence, psychologist Nancy Hill identified six developmental areas, in addition to academics, that schools have traditionally helped nurture. In this article, you will find a summary of how schools can work with families to continue to do so in a pandemic.

When talking about the benefits of reading, we could mention that it favors learning, expands our vocabulary and stimulates imagination. However, there are benefits that go beyond the academic and professional fields and that are also attributed to reading, such as our well-being and mental health.

And what is the "cognitive reserve"? The cognitive reserve is the ability of the brain to compensate for the deterioration related to aging, or the effects of a physical or mental illness.

When we read, we stimulate the brain to think, organize, connect, memorize and imagine and all this allows its optimal functioning. Here are more benefits:

1. For stress: According to a study conducted by the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom in 2009, just six minutes of reading a day can reduce stress levels by 68%, even more than listening to music or going for a walk. This happens because reading slows the heart beat and relieves muscle tension. When we read, we focus on one thing and put all other thoughts aside.
2. To sleep: Reading allows us to concentrate on the subject we are reading about and prevents other thoughts that may be hovering from appearing to create anxiety and therefore difficulty sleeping. That is why making reading a ritual before bed improves our ability to fall asleep. The ideal is to read fiction books, and not topics that cause more stress instead of relaxing us.
3. To focus: When reading, we develop our ability to concentrate, allowing the brain to be more focused and alert. This helps us develop skills such as objectivity and decision-making.
4. To be more empathetic: According to a study by the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, when we read fiction novels we enhance our social skills, because through the characters we can live a life different from our own. In this way, each time we read fiction we are learning to be more empathetic and understand others better. This ultimately allows us to better relate to others.

As you can see, reading is a healthy medicine for our imagination and our mental health. For this reason, we must make this a recurring habit, not only in children and adolescents, but also in adults.

Source:

https://www.comunidadbaratz.com/blog/6-minutos-de-lectura-pueden-llegar-a-reducir-el-estres-hasta-en-un-60/

https://quierocuidarme.dkvsalud.es/salud-para-todos/beneficios-de-leer-para-nuestra-salud

https://www.elcaribe.com.do/gente/estilo/beneficios-de-la-lectura-para-la-salud-mental/

https://quierocuidarme.dkvsalud.es/ocio-y-bienestar/lectura-y-salud-mental

Not everything is going to happen the way we want it to. And it is precisely our expectation versus the end result of things that always generates a feeling of frustration.

Frustration can lead us to experience different states of mind, from sadness to anger to disappointment. This roller coaster of feelings paralyzes us, changes our mental setting, and we go from the positive pole “I can do it” to the negative pole “this will never work out”.

According to Marcela Rodríguez, Advisor and Counseling psychologist at Tec Monterrey campus, "frustration is an unpleasant emotional response to something that did not turn out as we imagined ..." not everything we do is going to turn out as we hope: expectation vs. reality.

In addition to affecting our emotions, frustration also affects the way we react verbally and physically, which ends up generating unpleasant feelings towards people around us. That is why it is very important to recognize when we feel frustrated and it is even more important to know how to deal with frustration and develop our capacity for tolerance.

1. Avoid controlling everything that happens in your life. It is impossible to have absolute control of each event because there are variables that do not depend directly on oneself. This only creates more stress and discomfort.
2. Acknowledge the emotion and regain your calm. Sometimes it is difficult to accept that you are frustrated, either by denial of the fact or because it is confused with another emotion, but you should know that part of the solution is to recognize what you feel, because that way you can address it.
3. Think straight and cool down. Analyze the situation and avoid worrying even more. Sometimes we blow a small situation out of proportion, which prevents us from living with peace of mind.
4. Set realistic expectations. Remember that we don't always get what we want without facing some adversity. There will always be something to improve to reach your goal.
5. Be flexible. We all have dreams and hopes, but in changing circumstances there is very little we can do and the only thing that will be constant is your ability to adapt to change or to new challenges that appear.
6. Do not compare yourself to others. A great Colombian pastry chef often says in her courses that comparing oneself with others is insulting oneself. Comparing yourself to someone who has achieved what you want, instead of bringing you closer and serving as a motor towards your goals, may rather be a trip that ends up discouraging you from continuing.
7. Don't just see the negative side. When something does not happen the way you want, always think about what that misstep taught you and what you can get out of it, even if the experience was not entirely positive. Focus on your strengths.
8. Enjoy today. Frustration also occurs when we want to quickly get to what comes next, to the future, to tomorrow. This practice should be avoided since it prevents us from taking advantage of the present and we lose many things, in addition to perspective.
9. Express yourself. Containing emotions or problems is not the best. Find someone you trust who you can vent to and who you know will help you to overcome this situation.
10. If you need it, get help. Frustration awakens feelings and emotions that are difficult to control, but they can be more manageable if you find someone to guide and accompany you. Sometimes you just can't do it alone.

With information from:

https://www.salud180.com/salud-dia-dia/7-metodos-efectivos-para-lidiar-con-la-frustracion

https://tec.mx/es/noticias/nacional/salud/algo-no-salio-bien-ve-estos-10-consejos-para-tolerar-la-frustracion

https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/la-baja-tolerancia-a-la-frustracion-una-bomba-de-tiempo-emocional/

Technology has become as common as ordering delivery from your favorite restaurant, or buying medicines from the pharmacy or groceries in the supermarket online. However, everything has a limit.

Each technology app is developed with a purpose, because without it they would not make sense. However, some of these technologies have come to replace moments in our lives in which they are not really necessary, creating an imbalance between the real world and the binary world.

Just as current technology can confuse us by being connected all the time either for work or studies, we must also recognize that thanks to it and its advances in recent years, many lives have been positively affected:

• 50 million people have been saved since the invention of anesthesia in 1850.
• 15 million lives have been saved since the invention of insulin in 1922.
• Robotic surgery, developed in 2000, saves millions of lives each year.
• Brain mapping to treat mental illness, started in 2013, saves four million people a year.

So, we must find a way to balance our real world, our family environment, and our jobs or studies, which at this moment are closely related to technology. Some ideas to achieve it:

1. Stop multitasking: This is a bad practice that hurts our attention span and productivity. For example, when you are in a video conference, pay attention and do not perform another task while just listening, even if it is not your turn to speak.
2. Create rules to establish technology-free moments, whether in video conferences or while in active breaks during work or breaks between classes. During these breaks, avoid using any technological device and grab a book, a magazine or do some short exercise routine. Children can also play to nurture the family relationship and share more quality time.
3. Try meditation techniques: A good way to relax and balance our digital life with the real one is to practice meditation exercises. This will help you keep your mind and body in a calm state.
4. Automate as much as possible: If some technological tools at work allow you to organize and automate certain things, then take advantage of them. Giving preference to your emails so that the most important (or highest priority) end up in a folder and then you can review them directly will always be better than navigating a sea of emails with irrelevant offers or spam.
5. Eliminate notifications that you don't need: If you have a notification for everything and they reach all the devices where you are connected, then you will always exceed the amount of time you spend in front of a screen. Disable the ones you don't use frequently, both on your phone and your computer.
6. Manage the times to use technological devices: In the case of children, it is always difficult to manage the time they dedicate to technology, because they spend a large amount of time connected in class, and some even want to spend more time connected to play video games online either alone or with their friends. You can set schedules to do activities online with friends and these can be followed by some physical activity, reading a book or spending time with family.

With information from:

https://www.greycampus.com/blog/others/effective-ways-to-use-technology-to-improve-work-life-balance

https://www.lifehack.org/511811/5-ways-technology-can-help-you-balance-school-and-life

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrealoubier/2020/10/06/how-to-balance-tech-and-everything-else-in-life/?sh=3c496e876183

Mathematics is one of those subject courses that one simply loves or must learn to love. We all know that mathematics is a formal science that uses axioms and logical reasoning to study the properties, abstract structures, and relationships between numbers or geometric figures. Mathematics can be found everywhere, even in objects. And even if we try to run away from them, we will always use them even in their simplest form.

The emergence of the coronavirus accelerated the process of digitizing our lives on a social, academic and professional level. Companies have seen the need to hire more professionals specialized in technology, while the automation and robotization of work processes has increased. It is here that mathematics is noticed and once again becomes an essential subject for the future of the post-COVID-19 world.

In the professions with the highest demand today, mathematics is implicit. According to the study "The Future Jobs Report 2020" of the World Economic Forum, automation will generate 97 million new jobs related mainly to artificial intelligence and Big Data by 2025.

Regardless of whether a person chooses a career or profession in which mathematics is implicit or not, they will eventually use it to develop "a critical sense applicable to any work and personal context," said Laura Morera. She also adds that mathematical thinking makes us "more competent citizens and better able to face any challenge that the uncertain future brings, whatever career path we follow."

While there appears to be little interest in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professions on a daily basis, careers such as web developer, data analyst, programmer analyst, statistician, or systems engineer are still the most required. Even on its list of most in-demand job skills, LinkedIn includes managing blockchain, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytical reasoning, and user experience.

With information from:

https://www.educaweb.com/noticia/2021/05/13/matematicas-imprescindibles-mundo-pos-covid-19-19554/

https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1223

Wikipedia
https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2020

Gratitude is one of the many positive emotions that we can feel. It refers to a feeling of thankfulness for all the good things we have in our lives.

We become aware of gratitude when we pause to value the things we often take for granted, such as having a place to live, food, clean water, clothes, friends, family, etc. It is a moment of reflection on how lucky we are when good things happen to us, be it something small or of great importance. Such a positive attitude leads us to develop a kind of "emotional immune system."

Various studies on the human brain sustain that positive emotions allow us to see more possibilities, compensate for negative emotions, lead us to carry on good actions and help us build better relationships.

Gratitude as a tool in difficult times

Every day we tend to think that our circumstances should be "a certain way" and it is this way of thinking that creates an expectation, which when faced with a different reality, generates feelings of disappointment and frustration. We feel as if we are not able to change those circumstances.

In those moments, we can use gratitude to correct this way of thinking and the perception that we have. Our mind is conditioned to give importance to the negative facts, but we can change this condition through gratitude.

Practicing gratitude is like doing a fitness routine for the mind. Those who have applied gratitude in their lives agree that it can be achieved through four steps:

1. Be aware of what you have: Make a list of what you have, from the smallest things to what is the most important thing in your life for you. Every time you find yourself going through a difficult time and you feel like you lose your focus, look at it.
2. Find a moment to pause: We live agitated, always busy and this easily diverts us from our positive emotions. So, take a break, look out the window for a while, read a few pages of a book, watch your children play, or just have coffee. The purpose of the break is for you to experience a sense of well-being and to analyze how it makes you feel. Repeat this action daily.
3. End the day grateful: Think about everything you did during the day, about the people with whom you had contact (directly or indirectly), reflect on what you learned or what you achieved. Meditate on the situations of the day and ask yourself what you learned from them, how you can change or solve them, and if you cannot solve or change them, then ask yourself how you can go about living with them.
4. Reconnect with other difficulties: When we do this, we are able to give thanks for our ability to overcome difficult situations. Think about what you did to overcome it, what you learned, and what you gained from that experience. Always remember everything that has grown, changed and positively transformed your life as a result of this difficulty.

We have the ability to modify our way of thinking and reflecting in a more positive way. We just have to focus and not feed the negativity to which we are prone, but rather take from each experience what helps us to continue with our lives, transformed into full people.

With information from:
https://kidshealth.org/es/teens/gratitude-esp.html

https://www.lanota-latina.com/como-la-gratitud-puede-ayudarte-en-tiempos-dificiles/

https://www.viviragradecidos.org/agradecer-en-momentos-dificiles/

https://sadhanahealing.com/aprende-a-vivir-con-gratitud-aun-en-los-momentos-dificiles/

We are all exposed to fake news on a daily basis, we see them on the internet, on our social networks and even on our WhatsApp, but these are not infallible, there are ways to find out if what we are reading is really true or not.

Here are five tips to keep in mind when receiving information:

• Take a moment to analyze the news, do not share it right away.
• If it produces a strong emotional reaction in you, set your alarm bell. Fake news is created with the purpose of generating big surprises or rejection towards something or someone.
• If the news confirms a conviction that you already have, also be suspicious. Fake news is created by people who use rumors to publish it under fake investigations and have more echo on the Internet.
• Fake news doesn't always cite sources, so when reading news make sure they cite sources that you really know.
• Producing a report takes time, be wary of a news story or report that appears immediately after an event happens.

Now, what can you do to dismantle fake news?:

1. Read the entire story and not just the headline. If you find information that does not seem correct or strange, look for the real context of it.
2. Find out where it comes from. In WhatsApp there are many chains and audios where only names of supposed relatives with alleged contacts in government agencies or offices are provided. Also the lack of links that lead to serious pages or real media can represent an alert. If you receive information and it says "forwarded many times", most likely you are in front of false news.
3. Search the news headline on Google. If it is true, you will find other real media that refer to it.
4. Look for the data that is cited in the news.
5. Check the context.
6. Ask the person who sent it to you where they got it from.
7. If you receive an image that tells a story, do a reverse image search on Google to see if other sites posted it, or if it is an image from another time or event. Save the photo in your computer and upload it at https://images.google.com/ or https://reverse.photos/
8. If you receive audios, search the Internet for some keywords used in the voice memo or WhatsApp.
9. Always think in numbers. The news mostly features research figures or other data. With these, it is easy to do a Google search to find out the veracity of them.

It can be tedious, but it's best to take the time to do some research on the information we receive before sharing it with others and contributing to misinformation.

UNESCO Peru recently carried out and published an audiovisual project to raise awareness about the problem of “fake news” and counteract the increase in misinformation during the elections. You can watch the video here (long version here). This video is timeless and although it was made in the electoral context, its validity remains because it shows us how fake news works and who may be behind it.

Long version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN0rnoXWJZY
Short version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtOvrGlNwhA

With information from:

UNESCO Perú
NewsLitTip
Consejo Nacional de Justicia de Brasil (CNJ)
BBC
Factcheck.org

Stress is nothing more than the body's response to a physical, mental or emotional factor that causes tension. This reaction in turn generates chemicals that can alter our blood pressure, heart rate and even the level of sugar in the blood. However, stress does not always come by itself and can often produce feelings such as frustration, anxiety, anger, or depression.

Usually, stress is caused by financial problems, work overload, job dissatisfaction, difficulties in our interpersonal relationships, lack of free time for recreation, or perfectionism.

During the last year we have all been exposed to an external factor, beyond our control, and that has affected everyone’s way of life without exception. The uncertainty that came with COVID-19 made the condition worse for those who were already prone to stress, and for those who perhaps had never felt it to face it for the first time.

Today more and more people feel overwhelmed by the sensations generated by stress, which in the long term can eventually lead to anxiety.

Although we are always exposed to small levels of stress -which sometimes has a positive effect as it pushes us to work better- it is necessary to find ways to prevent it from becoming chronic and compromising our quality of personal, family and work life. For this purpose:

• Set priorities: Decide what to do right now and what can wait.
• Take the time to do activities that you enjoy, such as reading, yoga, painting classes, gardening, baking, etc.
• Avoid obsessively thinking about problems, trying to set a time to deal with that particular problem that keeps popping up in your head. Although we cannot control our thoughts, our task is to stop for a moment, take a deep breath and focus on those aspects of the problem that have already been solved. The important thing is to find a balance.
• Exercise regularly: It doesn’t have to be strenuous routines as exercise is not only about maintaining your physical health, but also your mental health. Walking for at least 30 minutes a day distracts us, clears the mind and allows us to unload everything that may be causing stress. See it this way, while you walk, whatever is causing you stress is left behind with each step you take.
• Keep in touch with people who support you emotionally: Don't be afraid to ask your family or friends for help. We are not superheroes and at some point we need someone no matter where our problems come from. Asking for help is the healthiest thing we can do.

With information from:
American Cancer Society
Forbes Spain

Kiera James, a Binghamton University psychology graduate student and leader of the study, along with the rest of the researchers “wanted to examine how exposure to parental criticism affects the way children process and pay attention to facial expressions of emotions. One way of measuring the attention level is through a neural marker called Late Positive Potential (LPP), which provides a measure of someone's attention to emotional information, such as a happy or sad face. "

To do this, they selected a group of parents of children between 7 and 11 years old, with whom they held interviews to talk about their children for 5 minutes. These statements were then encoded at different levels of criticism. In parallel, the researchers measured the children's brain activity as they viewed a series of images of faces showing different emotions. This is how the study concluded that the children of parents with a greater tendency to criticism paid less attention to facial expressions of emotions compared to the children of parents with a lower level of criticism.

"We know from previous research that people have a tendency to avoid things that make them feel uncomfortable, anxious or sad because of these aversive feelings," James explained. She also noted "it is well known that children with more critical parents are more likely to use strategies that work as a protective shield when they feel in distress or danger."

Recurrent exposure to negative criticism during childhood not only affects the way in which children understand different expressions of emotions from others during this stage of life, but also extends into adulthood, affecting their interpersonal relationships, or developing problems such as low self-esteem, depression or anxiety, among others.

More than negative evaluations, children need positive criticism that allows them to grow emotionally, understanding that it is not about highlighting what is wrong in the eyes of adults but how they can improve at every step. If your child makes a mistake, let him try again, help him find the point where “it” is no longer right, and show him why it is not right. Making a mistake is not bad, because it is always an opportunity to learn, of course, at their own pace, and not at ours as adults.

Childhood is a precious time for everyone and is the basis for becoming empathetic, healthy and happier adults.

Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180611133507.htm
https://saposyprincesas.elmundo.es/consejos/psicologia-infantil/reaccion-cerebro-ninos-criticas/