The phenomenon was first identified by a scientist named Hans Selye in 1946.
3 Stages of General Adaptation Syndrome
General adaptation syndrome occurs in three stages.
In each of these stages, your body reacts in different ways.
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The physiological changes your body goes through during this process can have a long-term negative effect.
Below are the three stages of GAS explained.
Alarm Reaction Stage
This is the first stage of general adaptation syndrome.
During this stage, your body sends a distress signal to your brain.
During the alarm reaction stage, youll also experienceelevated blood pressureand heart rate levels.
Resistance Stage
The resistance stage occurs after the reaction stage.
It typically triggers when whatever was triggeringyour stresshas stopped.
If you remain stressed, the reaction stage will persist.
In the resistance stage, your body begins to lower your blood pressure and heart rate.
It also reduces the amount of adrenaline and cortisol being produced.
At this stage, your body is simply trying to recover from the shock of the alarm reaction stage.
Exhaustion Stage
Stress puts your body through a toll, and the exhaustion stage occurs afterprolonged stress.
You experience this stage after your body has gone through an extended period of stress.
Here, even if the stressor persists, your body is too depleted to continue to combat it.
During the reaction stage, your body reacts in the following ways.
You are susceptible to developing stress-related conditions at this stage.
He used the term to define the physical changes the body goes through when it’s stressed.
He discovered this while experimenting on lab rats.
During the first stage of general adaptation syndrome, your body goes intofight or flight mode.
This mode is essential to protect yourself during a stressful or dangerous situation.
Being in a stressful state for an extended period can cause medical complications.
You could develop a host of physical and medical conditions.
Finding ways tocope with prolonged stresswill help prevent your body from going into the exhaustion stage.
The exhaustion stage is the riskiest stage of general adaptation syndrome.
Theres no one way to manage stress.
Youll have to identify your stressors and attempt to get rid of them or minimize them.
If you fuel your body with unhealthy foods, it will be ill-equipped to handle stressful situations.
Research has found that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is linked to lower stress.
Research has shown thatbreathing exercisescan be an effective way to reduce stress levels.
Two types that can be particularly helpful are controlled slow breathing and diaphragmatic breathing.
Identify Your Triggers
The first step to managing your stress isidentifying what triggersit in the first place.
Identifying what triggers your stress can help you get rid of them.
Write Down Your Feelings
Journalingis an often overlooked way of dealing with stress.
Writing down your feelings and coming to terms with them can help you cope better.
The three stages of general adaptation are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.
That’s why finding ways to manage stress effectively is so important.
If you are struggling to manage feelings of stress, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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1946;6(2):117-230.
Selye H.Stress and the general adaptation syndrome.British Medical Journal.
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Salleh MR.Life event, stress and illness.Malays J Med Sci.
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Banushi B, Brendle M, Ragnhildstveit A, et al.
Breathwork Interventions for Adults with Clinically Diagnosed Anxiety Disorders: A Scoping Review.Brain Sci.
