How to strengthen and recharge yourself when daily stress destroys your peace and health? The Aspen Institute Kyiv held an Aspen meeting on “Theory and practice of well-being for resilience in modern conditions” for members of the Community

Living constantly on adrenaline and cortisol is extremely difficult because the challenges we face are non-trivial. The hypertonicity of all systems exhausts the body and leads to stress, significantly affecting physical health. But there are tools that can help us be more resilient and steady, preparing us for the marathon that we all need to overcome.

The Aspen Institute Kyiv organized an Aspen meeting on “Theory and practice of well-being for resilience in modern conditions” for members of the Community. We invited professional experts who gladly shared ways to cope with daily stress and care for mental and physical health. Among the speakers were:

• Anita Lutsenko — professional athlete, aerobic trainer, fitness and yoga instructor, weight loss expert, and television host.
• Nadiia Kryzhanovska — senior category therapist doctor, PhD in medical sciences, co-founder and medical director of the clinic “PREVENTA,” co-founder and scientific consultant of Trioformula GMBH Germany.
• Oleksiy Bashkirtsev — CEO, medical director of Edem Clinic, PhD in medical sciences, cardiologist, therapist, Editor-in-chief of the science magazine Antiaging Eastern Europe, member of the medical board of the Superhumans Centre (Ukraine).

You can read some of the speakers’ theses below.

Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director at the Aspen Institute Kyiv, moderated the conversation.

Take care of yourself and your health. After all, no one will take care of you better than yourself!

Nadiia Kryzhanovska

Therapist doctor of the highest category, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Co-founder and Medical Director of “PREVENTA” Clinic, Co-founder and Scientific Consultant of Trioformula GMBH Germany

“Stress triggers complex hormonal processes in the body that lead to hyperstimulation of various systems. In particular, it reduces immunity, disrupts circadian rhythms, causes collagen production, causes loss of bone mass, and more. In other words, it leads to the depletion of resources and ageing of the body. To prevent diseases, a person should undergo a timely diagnosis. At the same time, simple things that work as anti-stress measures can be used. For example, looking at the horizon – at least 5 minutes during a walk- has a therapeutic effect. I recommend getting enough sleep and meditating – this helps maintain mental clarity, inner calm, and self-awareness. Additionally, it’s important to move a lot, dance, and jump. For better concentration, I recommend reading a lot, preferably long books. Human beings are social creatures, so maintaining relationships is perhaps the hardest but the most important part of preserving mental health.”

Oleksiy Bashkirtsev

CEO and Medical Director of Edem Clinic, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Cardiologist and General Practitioner, Chief Editor of the scientific journal Antiaging Eastern Europe, Member of the Medical Board of the Superhumans Centre (Ukraine)

“I consider preventive medicine much more effective than classical medicine. This means that a person takes responsibility for their health instead of coming to the doctor with an existing problem and shifting the responsibility onto them. To better understand what to focus on when caring for your health, three things are needed – genetic tests, prevention, and personalization. Genetic tests are necessary to see the risks of hereditary diseases or the likelihood of certain illnesses. Afterwards, a strategy for their prevention should be prescribed: consultations and future doctor visits. For effectiveness, each prevention strategy must be personalized and fit the specific person according to the state of their body. These steps will help prevent many risks.”

Anita Lutsenko

Professional athlete; aerobics, fitness, and yoga trainer; weight loss expert; TV presenter

“It’s important to monitor your diet. Personally speaking, the ideal formula for a healthy plate is half – vegetables, a quarter – proteins, and the rest – carbohydrates. Or the principle: 90% of the food – healthy benefits and 10% ‘for the soul.’ If you are looking for a ‘magic pill’ that will save you from stress, back pain, bad mood, fatigue, etc., it’s a 15-minute workout. Just 15 minutes of exercise a day can solve many problems. Healthy sleep is perhaps the best way to restore the body, and it is available to everyone. Therefore, it is definitely not worth neglecting it. I also advise spending less time on the internet. I understand this may be difficult, considering everything happening outside. However, constantly reading the news will definitely not improve your physical and mental state.”