Health
Carlos Alexander Ortega
Carlos Alejandro Ortega has a degree in Psychology, teacher, researcher and author of fifteen books with which he intends to help people’s personal and professional development.
Q. After more than 34 years of experience, how do you define yourself as a professional? Do you think you have achieved all your career goals?
R. I am a psychologist, a good trainer and author of books that aim to help people’s personal and professional development. My professional objectives, as this is my vocation, are in constant renewal, although I would like to be able to have a greater influence through my books, conferences or courses that are generated with my latest publications.
Q. As a professional psychologist with extensive experience in the Human Resources area, you know that motivation at work is essential. What advice would you give to a person who is not motivated in her work and that causes her constant frustration with herself?
R. In my 2022 Self-Knowledge and Self-Esteem book, I talk in detail and with practical exercises about it. However, the most important thing and following the moment of transformation of society in which we are currently, is to know our limits and accept them as they are.
Q. In your book Self-knowledge and Self-esteem, you point out that moments of crisis lead us to restructure our entire environment. Is it correct to make vital decisions in times of crisis and uncertainty?
R. Moments of uncertainty cause our personal and group value system to shake. It is very easy for people to make wrong decisions at such moments, and this is something that we are seeing in many institutions. It is necessary to evolve following the changes in society, but not necessarily with trends or fashions, which tend to be fleeting and confuse rather than clarify. From my point of view, you have to work internally and once you have worked on the personal limits of each one, you can make decisions with determination.
Q. Many people act aimlessly in their lives, on impulse, and do not know how to adapt their desires and expectations to reality. They feel trapped personally and professionally. How would you help these people? What is the first thing you should do to start changing what is not fulfilling you in your life?
R. Reflection time is absolutely necessary. I recommend doing mindfulness and relaxation exercises, because they are an excellent way to reduce the fast pace of life that we have imposed on ourselves as a society. This inevitably leads us to a state of permanent alertness and unhealthy stress. Likewise, I recommend doing sports, maintaining a balanced diet and, something very important, taking care of our mental health.
Q. Of the 15 books you have published, which one has been the most difficult for you to write? Do you feel a special affection for any of them? Because?
R. The book “And if we regain trust?”. I wrote it in the 2012 crisis and it took me about 9 months to write it. Making the parallelism with the birth of a mother, it can be said that it was a very complete research work in which I interviewed 35 senior managers. I was lucky enough to come across a highly prestigious Spanish consulting firm that was able to provide me with research on 5,500 managers from all over Spain.
Q. Let’s talk about your latest book: “Algorithms. The addiction to the new technologies of the 21st century”.
R. It is a very comprehensive and easy to read book. It is recommended for all ages, as it deals with a topic that is very current for everyone. Spending most of the day in front of screens is changing our brain, our way of perceiving and processing information from the environment and adapting to society. All this can affect our mental health. My objective as a psychologist is to work, inform and give talks and workshops together with other professionals. The idea is to deal with this issue and delve into the best way to adapt to new technologies. However, we must also look for the positive of all these advances.
Q. Society is not aware, but there is an increasing addiction to social networks in young people and adults. Even small children already ask for the phone to watch YouTube videos. What do you think about this?
R. The first thing to take into account when faced with possible addiction to the Internet is that we have to be alarmed when screens take away the free time we have and we stop practicing other leisure activities, such as being in contact with nature, with our friends or Talking with our relatives. These social skills are being lost. Tutors and parents must be aware that excessive and improper use of screens begins to create a silent addiction for the simple effect of stimulus, reinforcement and reward.
An abusive use of technologies can affect the daily life of minors and adults. If we let the little ones use mobile phones as a toy, it can become an addiction, and later, when they reach the adolescent stage, as the only way of communication. This is a very sad thing.
Q. What are your next professional goals?
R. As I said before, my vocation is to work with those entities and professionals by holding conferences and round tables. So that these new studies and investigations can lead me to complete my next book: “Algorithms, part two.” I am working on dedicating this second edition to the field of education for parents, students and teachers, who are the ones in the front line. My goal is to provide them with the necessary practical tools to adapt to the good use of new technologies.
