The present, the only moment in which we act, is deeply shaped by everything that has affected us in the past: our habits, knowledge, circumstances, and current state are a direct result of that history. At the same time, what we do now is shaping our future. Every action, no matter how small, has an impact that may unfold in seconds or over years. And everything we do is, in one way or another, oriented toward improving our own well-being. This is also true when we act to benefit others. But that is another topic. In all cases, we act seeking a result that, at that moment, we believe will benefit us. That is why the past should not be ignored, but used as a source of learning. Analyzing our experiences allows us to extract useful knowledge, identify patterns, and understand the consequences of our decisions. This process is not meant to punish us or make us dwell in regret, but to learn clearly in order to act better in the future. Likewise, the future should not be a source of anxiety, but a reference point. Thinking about it allows us to anticipate the possible consequences of our present actions and make better decisions. It is not about controlling everything that will happen, but about guiding our behavior in a direction that increases the likelihood of a good outcome. The problem arises when our relationship with time becomes dysfunctional. Regret is a way of getting trapped in the past, reliving what can no longer be changed and generating unnecessary suffering. Worry, on the other hand, is a projection into the future that makes us suffer over situations that do not yet exist or may never exist. Both attitudes are ways of wasting energy without truly improving our situation. The alternative is to develop a healthy relationship with time: learning from the past without being trapped in it, and considering the future without becoming anxious about it. This allows us to focus all our attention on the present, which is the only place where we can act. From this perspective, the goal is to do, at every moment, everything within our power to improve our state. If we act with maximum intention, using the knowledge available and paying full attention to what we are doing, then our current state will always be the best result we could have achieved given the circumstances.

Have you ever experienced that not accepting something in your life ends up worsening your suffering? Pain is a constant in life, just like situations we don't like, such as injustices and unexpected events. It's also a reality that we can't always change what we disagree with. Sometimes we use our thoughts and behavior to try to understand, fix, change, or "get over" what can't be changed at that moment, which can become a problem because those efforts often end up making the experience worse for us or those around us. That's why some mental health experts propose practicing a distress tolerance skill called RADICAL ACCEPTANCE: radical means complete, from the root, totally; it's accepting something deeply, accepting the whole path, with your mind, heart, and body; it's when you stop fighting reality, stop throwing tantrums because reality isn't what you want, and stop bittering yourself about it. It's opening up to fully experience what's happening in that moment. It doesn't mean you have to like what you're experiencing; it means you recognize what's there, even if you don't like it. WHAT RADICAL ACCEPTANCE IS NOT It's not giving up or approving. It's not passivity or opposition to change. It's not compassion. It's not fatalism or resignation. WHY RADICALLY ACCEPT? Rejecting reality doesn't change it. Having the possibility to change reality requires first accepting it as it is, because radical acceptance transforms unbearable suffering into bearable pain. Pain can't be avoided; it's the natural way to signal something is wrong. Rejecting reality turns pain into suffering. Refusing to accept reality can keep you trapped in unhappiness, bitterness, anger, sadness, shame, or other painful emotions. Acceptance can lead to sadness, but it's usually followed by a deep calm. FACTORS THAT INTERFERE WITH RADICAL ACCEPTANCE 1. You don't have acceptance skills; you don't know how to accept truly painful facts and events. 2. You think that if you accept a painful event, you're ignoring or approving the facts, and that nothing will be done to change or prevent future painful events.

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Hello, LIPSers! I’d like to share this short article with you about infoxication. I wrote it with the help of an artificial intelligence tool, but it stems from a very personal concern: the constant feeling of being overwhelmed by information. I hope it serves as a point for reflection and, in some way, helps you pause for a moment and rethink how we consume information in our daily lives. I’ll be reading your comments! Infoxication: when excess information misinforms us We live in an era where access to information is immediate and practically unlimited. News, social media, emails, messages, videos, and opinions accompany us from the moment we wake up until we go to bed. Paradoxically, this information overload can become a problem: infoxication. The term infoxication comes from combining “information” and “intoxication,” and it describes the state in which a person receives so much information that they are unable to process it effectively. Instead of helping us better understand reality, the constant flood of data, headlines, and stimuli ends up generating confusion, anxiety, and mental fatigue. One of the main effects of infoxication is difficulty in making decisions. When we have too many options, viewpoints, and contradictory data, analyzing everything becomes almost impossible. This can lead to paralysis, impulsive decisions, or relying on the most eye-catching information rather than the most relevant or reliable. Moreover, infoxication affects our attention and concentration. Constantly jumping from one notification to another reduces our ability to go deeper, reflect, and think critically. We consume a great deal of information, but we retain little of it and understand even less. Combating infoxication does not mean giving up on staying informed, but rather learning to manage information more effectively. Selecting reliable sources, limiting the time spent on news and social media, prioritizing quality over quantity, and setting aside spaces free from digital stimuli are key strategies to regain control.

Psychologist Laurie Santos explains that the human brain did not evolve to make us happy, but rather natural selection for us to survive and reproduce creates a disconnect between what we believe will make us happy and what actually works. This causes us to pursue goals that we believe will give us well-being, but in practice they do not. For example, we tend to overestimate the impact of money, promotions or material possessions once our basic needs are met. Furthermore, we have other "factory glitches": -Reference points: We evaluate our life by comparing it with that of others, which makes us feel bad if someone seems to be better off. -Hedonic adaptation: We get used to positive things quickly, losing the initial enthusiasm. -Impact bias: We believe that future events will affect us with greater intensity and duration than actually happens. --- To counteract these tendencies, she proposes five "redesign" practices: -Social connection: The happiest people prioritize physical time with others. Overcoming "sub-sociality" (believing it doesn't matter) is key; even a real call is better than social networks. -Generosity: Orienting yourself toward others produces more happiness than simple self-care. -Appreciation: Thinking before we go to sleep about three things for which we feel lucky improves our well-being in the short and long term. -Savoring: Paying conscious attention to good moments instead of overlooking them. -Movement: Doing exercise of any kind, even if it is only 20 minutes a day, has a direct connection to mental health. --- Which of these "factory glitches" do you notice most in your life?