The 6 most common myths about stress

It may seem that nothing major is going on – after all, almost everyone suffers from stress these days. But stress is one of the factors that fundamentally affect the epigenetic mechanisms that affect our DNA and thus our health and mental well-being. So what are the myths about stress and how can we effectively prevent it?

Myth No. 1: Stress will come, stress will go

It is not true that stress only affects us negatively when we experience it. On the contrary, it causes changes in our bodies at the DNA level, many of which persist even after the stressful period has passed. These are the so-called epigenetic changes, in particular gene methylation and histone modification, which alter the activity of individual genes in the DNA, and may even switch them off or on completely. It is these changes that can contribute to the development of certain diseases.

Myth No. 2: Without stress there is no performance

On the one hand, it’s true that the stress of an impending deadline can drive a person to superhuman feats. A few days before the submission of the paper, attention, creativity and motivation suddenly increase. But there is a difference when you experience a similar high at most once a month and when you experience work stress practically all the time. Research clearly shows that chronic stress at work reduces motivation and performance and increases the risk of burnout.

Myth #3: If I can do it, you have to do it

“For God’s sake, are you really breaking down over such a little thing?” Similar phrases are often heard by people with low stress tolerance. But stress resilience is a very individual thing and its foundations are often laid in early childhood.

A breakthrough in the study of this issue was brought about by the so-called leasing experiment. In it, researchers divided fresh rat mothers into two groups: the first group consisted of females who licked their offspring frequently and intensively, which is the main expression of maternal love and attention in mammals, while the second group consisted of mothers who paid little attention to this activity. Later, when they examined their offspring, they found that the low-licking ones had significantly lower stress tolerance. The reason for this lay in their genes – the lack of maternal affection manifested itself in different methylation patterns on their DNA.

Of course, it works the same way here, which explains, by the way, why people who suffered emotional hardship in childhood, whether due to lack of parental love or exclusion from the community, are much more prone to depression, anxiety, addiction, and even cardiovascular disease.

Myth 4: Attitude and motivation don’t matter

On the contrary, some research shows that a lot depends on whether we are a passive “victim” of stress or whether we voluntarily undergo it. A typical example is sports training. On the one hand, high intensity exercise is a typical example of a stressful stimulus, but if it is undertaken voluntarily and with clear motivation, it does not cause negative changes in histone modification, unlike other types of stressful stimuli.

Myth No. 5: Stress has to last a long time to do harm

He doesn’t have to. For example, experiments in rats have shown that changes in histone modification peak between 30 minutes and 2 hours after exposure to acute stress.

Myth No. 6: Alcohol makes you feel better

It’s true that when you have a few drinks, problems suddenly seem more distant. But in reality, alcohol doesn’t relieve stress at all. On the contrary, we’re setting ourselves up for trouble because the combination of the negative health effects of stress and alcohol can wreak havoc on the body. Moreover, if we get into the habit of reaching for alcohol every time we are stressed, we reduce our ability to cope with stress through natural coping mechanisms.

Nor does marijuana help – while the symptoms of stress disappear immediately after use, increased anxiety sets in after its effect wears off. Neither are stimulants, which people often reach for when they need to cope with the pressure of work – in addition to the high risk of addiction, the body’s natural ability to cope with stress decreases again.

So what can help?

Regular exercise is a relatively effective aid in coping with stress. The often repeated claim that exercise releases endorphins is not true, but it does produce a substance in the brain called norepinephrine, which helps this organ cope with stress. Physical exercise of a reasonable intensity also reduces the production of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline and improves mental performance and memory.

Regular meditation is also very effective, as it works through exactly the opposite mechanisms to stress: it calms, induces relaxation, reduces stress hormone levels and helps alleviate the negative effects of stress on the body.

Natural help during periods of increased stress is also offered by so-called adaptogens, or substances that increase natural resistance to stress. A good choice is, for example, rhodiola, which, in addition to its anti-stress effect, also increases mental and physical performance, has an antidepressant effect and harmonises the hormonal system (more here: https://www.epivyziva.cz/rozchodnice-ruzova-rhodiola-rosea/). Suma is also a good choice, as it also increases stress resistance and counteracts depression and anxiety. Magnesium, which can also be used in combination with rhodiola, is also an effective aid for stress and anxiety.