Not all stress is bad: How to tell helpful kind from harmful one
The most harmful type of stress for humans revealed (photo: Freepik)
In today’s world, stress has become a frequent companion in a person’s life. However, not every kind of stress is harmful. Which type is considered the most dangerous, and how to protect yourself? Nataliya Bobok, the scientist, PhD in Medical Sciences, and founder of the Swiss multifunctional products brand, tells more about stress and how to avoid it, in the material below.
How stress affects the skin
According to the expert, constant anxiety and lack of sleep due to war, work, and the unpredictability of tomorrow provoke hormonal imbalances that affect not only beauty but also overall health.
It’s important to understand that not all types of stress are harmful – some even have a positive effect on quality of life.
A study conducted at the end of 2024 showed that 76% of Ukrainian women have signs of facial skin problems due to stress.
-
One in five women in Ukraine has inflammation on the skin due to chronic stress.
-
One in two has sensitive skin.
-
One in three has pigmentation and age-related changes starting from the age of 25.
Are all types of stress harmful
The scientist said that stress indeed takes away beauty and longevity, destroying the endocrine system. As a result, excess weight, poor well-being, hormonal imbalance, and even reduced libido appear.
That’s why it is important to learn how to distinguish stress, as not all types are equally harmful. Some, on the contrary, positively affect life quality.
Constructive or eustress
It promotes an increase in the person’s adaptation and mobilization abilities in conditions of discomfort and danger. It is considered the most beneficial type of stress.
Examples include: sports, being in love, pleasant excitement, or understanding difficulties that eventually bring satisfaction.
Distress
This type of stress is considered the most harmful. It drastically reduces work efficiency and quality of life.
Examples include: conflict, war, breakup of relationships, or even a toxic team.
In addition, there is stress that a person cannot influence.
Examples: accumulated lack of sleep due to air raids, fear during missile attacks, childbirth, illnesses – everything that affects a person physically and is beyond their control.
Techniques to fight stress
The best ways to combat stress are transcendental meditation and the “4 points” technique.
“These are the two techniques I personally use. They help me switch and enter the alpha state.
Transcendental meditation is a very simple mental technique that should be done twice a day, in the morning and evening, for 20 minutes.
And the ‘4 points’ technique helps to calm down both before sleep and during the day,” Bobok explained.
In transcendental meditation, the main idea is to allow the mind to naturally calm down, going beyond active thinking without control and effort.
You can learn how to perform such meditation with the help of neurospecialists who specialize in this area.
Whereas the “4 points” technique helps calm down both before bedtime and during the day.
The essence is that when you focus on four points of the body, all other thoughts disappear from your head.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
