General Adaptation Syndrome and the Stages of Reaction
to Stress

General Adaptation Syndrome is a theory developed by a prominent scientist in the field of stress named Hans Selye. This theory describes the stages you go through when you experience any type of stress.

There are three stages in people’s reaction to stress according to Selye’s theory:

Stressor —> Alarm and Mobilization —> Resistance —> Exhaustion

Alarm and mobilization: This is the first stage you will experience once you become aware of something that stresses you. Your body begins to release the various stress hormones and prepares to deal with the stressor.

Resistance: This is the second stage of the reaction in which your body is actively attempting to deal with the stressor. The purpose of this stage is to beat the stressor. If you are successful in meeting the challenge that was presented, you may become resistant to the stress and more able to deal with it in the future. The stressor will seem less threatening the next time you encounter it.

Exhaustion: If you are not able to successfully defeat the stressor, you move into the third stage of the response – exhaustion. This stage is usually experienced with long-term stressors. This is the stage in which you begin to experience physical harm and illness from stress. Not all stress responses reach this stage; only the long-term events that you perceive to continue to be a stressor.

As you can see, your body has different stages of reaction depending on the type of stress and your ability to deal with it. If you overcome something you perceive to be stressful, your body (and your mind!) won’t perceive it to be such a threat the next time you have to deal with.

So the next time you are stressed over something, be confident and know that you will overcome it! The next time you that stressor come around you will ask yourself “Stress? What stress? This is a piece of cake!”

Return from General Adaptation Syndrome to Your Stressed Life home

Return to Your Stressed Life home