Stress, the challenge of the 21st century
We stay connected almost every moment. We have access to an unprecedented volume of information, while facing pressure to perform, growing uncertainty, time shortages and, all too often, the struggle to maintain a balance between work and personal life.
Corina Cristea, 16.10.2026, 14:00
In this reality, stress has become a challenge we are all required to confront. From a biological standpoint, stress is the body’s response to a situation perceived as demanding or threatening, explains Professor Luiza Spiru, a consultant geriatrician and President of the Ana Aslan International Foundation.
“Stress is an entirely natural response of the body when faced with stressors. Stressors come in many forms. It may be a pollutant, a negative emotion, a physical injury, an argument with a boyfriend or girlfriend, all of these are stressors. The body attempts to regroup through the response it coordinates in order to recover. We are all exposed to stressors. There is simply no way around that. Whenever stress enters our lives, it creates a series of imbalances. These imbalances are reflected in our reactions and are linked to the brain: anxiety, depression, as well as hormonal, cardiovascular and immunological manifestations. However, when a difficult period persists and living under the burden of stress becomes the norm, we are no longer dealing with acute stress but with chronic stress. What I have described so far is acute stress. This is what happens, for example, when we have an exam. Our children go into an exam feeling stressed… and then it passes. The problem arises when stress disrupts what we call homeostasis, the body’s cellular balance. Disturbances occur, and while these disturbances disappear in short-term stress, they remain in long-term stress lasting more than two weeks, a month, two months, three months and, very often, years. At that point, the manifestations begin to emerge throughout the body. The first organ to take on these responses is the brain, because it is the brain that attempts to manage them.”
The brain absorbs this entire burden and tries to cope with it. After a time, however, it may no longer be able to keep pace. That is when symptoms such as palpitations, excessive sweating, sleep disturbances, digestive problems, skin eruptions or allergies may begin to appear.
“When stress is acute, we mobilize remarkably well. We become active, we rise to the challenge and, quite often, we perform exceptionally under acute stress. But when stress becomes chronic and we see that the situation continues, unfortunately our resources begin to diminish. They decline progressively until we reach the stage of exhaustion. This engine running at full throttle, which is our body, eventually reaches a point where it can no longer cope. At that stage it becomes extremely difficult to restore balance. Burnout is, in fact, stress taken to its furthest extreme. It means that even we ourselves recognize that we are no longer able to recover. I very often hear younger people say, ‘I’m burned out. I’m burned out.’ What they are really declaring is that they no longer have any reserves left, or that they feel completely exhausted. That exhaustion is physical, psychological and mental. It is reflected in an inability to be active, to leave the house, or to come up with new ideas.”
Because of its profound impact on both physical and mental health in modern life, stress is often described as the disease of the 21st century. It tends to strike where there is an individual vulnerability. The encouraging news, however, is that many of these risk factors can be modified.
The first is physical activity in all its forms, from a simple walk to a workout at the gym. According to Professor Luiza Spiru, just 150 minutes of exercise a week is enough. Another modifiable factor is social interaction. It is important not to isolate ourselves. Perhaps the clearest example comes from the pandemic years, when isolation affected millions of people around the world.
“Isolation carries the greatest weight among the modifiable risk factors. Human beings are social by nature, and isolating ourselves, forgetting that we are social beings, is today considered, according to the latest studies from 2026, the equivalent of smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, regardless of age. Isolation drives you deeper into your own negative thoughts when you are struggling with depression or anxiety and refuse to seek help from anyone. Or when you have not yet realized quite how close you are to the edge.”
Sleep is another essential factor. It is not simply the number of hours that matters, but the quality of those hours as well. At the same time, we need to pay attention to our individual risk factors and organize our lives accordingly. Alongside a healthy body and a sharp mind, the ability to find meaning at every stage of life is equally important, Professor Luiza Spiru points out. She highlights three essential elements that help us preserve our independence, enjoy life and approach old age without fear: muscles, the brain and purpose. In other words, living with a sense of meaning and direction. (VP)
