When you look at the world around you, it can often feel like everyone is stressed out of their minds— all of the time. But if we’re all running at max capacity non-stop, how can we keep functioning?

The reason we’re able to keep going under difficult circumstances is actually down to a process called General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). Developed by pioneering hormone researcher Hans Selye in the early 20th century, this theory describes the three stages of the body’s response to stress.

Understanding the three stages of GAS helps us understand how it’s possible to keep going when stress, worry and adversity seem to be ever-present. But it also offers a warning about the consequences of not recognising and responding to stress before it becomes unmanageable.

What are the three stages of general adaptation syndrome?

1. The Alarm Reaction

When we experience difficult or stressful circumstances, the body and mind activate an alarm system designed to help us deal with the challenge. Known as the fight or flight response, this reaction involves a cascade of changes within the body:

● Increased breathing and heart rate- to pump oxygen to the muscles more efficiently
● Increased metabolism- to help us burn energy more quickly
● Raised blood pressure- to help with circulation
● The adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol- hormones which increase our energy levels
● The body’s resources are diverted away from less life-critical functions such as digestion and towards the major organs and muscles
● The pupils dilate- leading to sharper vision
● The muscles tense up- getting ready for action

These changes are designed to protect us from immediate danger and help us respond to life-threatening situations. They help us focus, boost our energy and motivate us to resolve the source of stress. For this reason, stress is actually very useful in helping us deal with short-term challenges.

2. The Resistance Stage

The fight or flight reaction is only intended as a short term response to immediate threat. It usually only lasts 20 to 30 minutes, after which we enter the next stage of the GAS: the resistance stage.

During this stage, the body starts to repair itself and wind down from the high-alert state it was in. Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate return to normal and production of adrenaline and cortisol ceases.

As it calms down and goes back to its resting state, the body remains on high alert for more signs of danger. From here, one of two things can happen.

If you successfully dealt with (or escaped from) the source of stress, your body and mind return to how they were before the alarm reaction kicked in, and you carry on as normal. However, if the source of stress hasn’t been eliminated, the body never gets the ‘all clear’ signal that it is no longer under threat.

This means that it continues to produce the stress hormones and keeps your blood pressure elevated. In essence, your body continues reacting to the stress, but you yourself are likely unaware of it once the initial rush of the fight or flight response has worn off.

Over time, this elevated state of stress becomes the new baseline and the body adapts to living with a higher level of stress.

On the one hand, this can be a good thing as it allows you to continue functioning when faced with stressful circumstances which you can’t immediately fix. Since so many of the pressures of modern life are pervasive and long-term— bills, work stress, relationship problems, health concerns— this is why so many people spend so much of their time stressed and still able to function.

However, the fact that we become so acclimatised to stress that we stop noticing it is also a problem. Why? Because even if we aren’t aware of it consciously, the body most definitely still feels the effects. The changes caused by the alarm reaction are meant to be short term; if allowed to continue unchecked they can start to seriously affect your physical and mental health.

Some consequences of remaining in the resistance stage for too long include:

● Poor concentration
● Irritability
● Difficulty sleeping
● Fatigue
● Muscle aches
● Chest pain
● Increased risk of cardiovascular problems
● Low mood

But that’s not the end of it. Remain in the resistance stage too long and the body will eventually move to the final stage of the GAS.

3. The Exhaustion stage

If stress is allowed to fly under the radar for too long, you arrive in stage 3: exhaustion. The illusion of coping shatters and you are left exhausted, burned out and unhappy.

When you reach this stage, your capacity to handle new stressors is extremely low, putting you at risk of developing mental health challenges like depression and anxiety. Chronic stress continues to take its toll on your physical body too, putting you at greater risk of serious health concerns like diabetes and heart disease.

Coping vs Thriving

The take home message here is that, even if you think you’re handling long-term stress just fine, you’re living on borrowed time. Sooner or later all that accumulated worry, pressure and tension will catch up to you and you’ll burn out.

Now, everyone has stressful periods in life and everyone gets overwhelmed. Sometimes life is hard and there’s not much you can do about it.

Overcoming stress isn’t about getting rid of all the difficult or draining parts of your life— that’s almost always impossible. The trick is balancing the stress with the proper amount of relaxation and recovery.

If you have a lot on your plate right now, you might feel like you’re handling it ok. But remember that you’re in stage two of the GAS, and exhaustion could be around the corner if you don’t act. Take steps now to build a more stress-resilient life . Spend some quality time relaxing. Learn some good habits. Start taking good care of yourself.

Once you start prioritising recovery you’ll begin to feel the difference between merely getting by in life and rising to each new challenge with confidence.

For more on managing stress effectively, check out our in-depth guide.