Under Chronic Stress? Completing All Three Stages of the Stress Response Cycle is Critical for Healing
The stress response cycle is your body’s natural reaction to challenges, pressures, and threats. While stress itself isn’t inherently harmful, failing to resolve the stress response can lead to burnout, chronic health issues, and emotional exhaustion. By understanding and completing the three stages of the stress response cycle—alarm, resistance, and exhaustion—you can mitigate its negative effects and build resilience.
Stress affects individuals in unique ways, but by understanding the process and taking actionable steps, it is possible to navigate these challenges effectively. If any of the information in this article sounds familiar, it’s important to speak with a therapist or licensed professional—they can provide professional guidance tailored to your unique experiences and help you develop a structured approach to recovery.
Let’s dive into the three stages, explore why they matter, and discover actionable strategies to complete the cycle and protect your health.
The Three Stages of the Stress Response Cycle
Understanding the three stages of the stress response cycle requires examining its foundation in General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), a concept developed by endocrinologist Hans Selye. GAS outlines how the body responds to stress in a predictable pattern, encompassing alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. These stages describe the physiological and psychological processes triggered by stress and how the body seeks to adapt or recover.
The stress response cycle consists of three primary stages:
Alarm: The initial, immediate reaction to stress.
Resistance: Coping and adjustment to the ongoing presence of a stressor.
Exhaustion: Recovery or if stress persists without resolution, burnout.
Each stage of the stress response cycle corresponds to a phase of GAS, highlighting how the body initially mobilizes resources, attempts to restore balance, and eventually faces the risk of depletion if stress persists. This framework underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing each stage to prevent long-term harm and build resilience. By exploring these stages, individuals can better understand how stress impacts them and adopt strategies to complete the cycle effectively.
1. Alarm Stage: The Initial Response
The alarm stage is the body’s immediate reaction to a perceived threat. Whether it’s a looming deadline, a tough conversation, or a sudden crisis, your body activates the "fight or flight" response. This stage is characterized by the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which prepare you for action.
What Happens in the Body:
Heart rate and blood pressure increase to deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles.
Blood sugar levels rise, providing a quick energy boost.
Digestion slows, and non-essential systems (like reproduction) take a back seat.
Breathing becomes shallow and rapid, ensuring sufficient oxygen intake.
Timeline for Acute Stress: For most individuals dealing with acute stress, the alarm stage lasts minutes to hours, depending on how quickly the stressor is resolved.
Timeline for Complex Trauma: For individuals with complex trauma, the alarm stage can persist intermittently for years, often triggered by reminders of past experiences. This ongoing activation occurs because the brain and body remain hypervigilant, perceiving threats even in situations that may not be dangerous.
This prolonged state of alarm underscores the importance of trauma-informed strategies for healing.
How to Complete This Stage:
Move Your Body: Physical activity—even a brisk walk—helps metabolize stress hormones and signals your body that the threat has passed.
Deep Breathing: Engage in diaphragmatic breathing exercises to calm the nervous system. Inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for six counts.
Acknowledge the Stressor: Identify what’s causing your stress and remind yourself that it’s temporary and manageable.
Seek Support for Trauma: If the alarm stage is prolonged due to unresolved trauma, working with a trauma-informed therapist or coach can help reprocess those experiences and shift your body out of a perpetual state of alarm.
2. Resistance Stage: Coping and Adjustment
Once the initial shock subsides, your body enters the resistance stage. This phase involves adapting to the ongoing presence of a stressor. Your parasympathetic nervous system attempts to restore balance, but if the stressor persists, your body remains on high alert.
What Happens in the Body:
Cortisol levels remain elevated to sustain energy and focus.
Sleep, appetite, and concentration may be disrupted.
You might feel emotionally reactive, irritable, or tense.
Timeline for Acute Stress: For acute stressors, the resistance stage may last days to weeks as the body works to adapt and manage the stressor. If the stressor resolves and recovery strategies are implemented, the body can return to balance relatively quickly.
Timeline for Complex Trauma: In cases of complex trauma, the resistance stage can last for years or even decades, particularly when the stressor is ongoing or unresolved. The body remains in a state of heightened alert due to repeated or prolonged exposure to traumatic circumstances, such as unsafe environments, toxic workplaces, or unhealthy relationships. Without targeted interventions, the resistance stage may evolve into chronic stress or exhaustion.
How to Complete This Stage:
Set Boundaries: Protect your energy by saying no to unnecessary commitments and creating time for recovery. For individuals with complex trauma, this might involve creating emotional or physical distance from triggers.
Practice Mindfulness: Activities like meditation, journaling, or mindful walks can help you process and release tension. Trauma survivors may benefit from body-based mindfulness practices like yoga or somatic experiencing.
Engage in Relaxation: Try progressive muscle relaxation or a warm bath to signal your body it’s safe to unwind.
Address the Stressor: Take incremental steps to resolve or minimize the stressor. For trauma-related stress, working with a therapist or coach can help you identify manageable actions while fostering a sense of safety.
Build Resilience Over Time: Focus on gradually increasing your capacity to handle stressors through supportive routines, self-care, and trauma-informed healing practices.
3. Exhaustion Stage: Recovery or Burnout
If the stressor persists without resolution, your body may enter the exhaustion stage. This is where resources are depleted, and the effects of chronic stress become apparent. Symptoms can include fatigue, anxiety, depression, and physical health issues like weakened immunity or cardiovascular strain.
What Happens in the Body:
Energy reserves are depleted, leading to physical and emotional fatigue.
Chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances can develop.
You may feel disconnected, unmotivated, or "stuck."
Timeline for Acute or Prolonged Stress: The exhaustion stage can last weeks to months in cases of acute or prolonged stress, provided recovery measures are implemented. Without intervention, it can progress to chronic health conditions, including persistent burnout, cardiovascular issues, or severe anxiety and depression.
Timeline for Complex Trauma: When complex trauma is involved, the exhaustion stage can persist for years or even decades. This prolonged state often arises when the nervous system is caught in a cycle of hypervigilance and unresolved stress. Recovery in these cases requires a trauma-informed approach that addresses deep-seated patterns and provides tools for long-term healing.
How to Complete This Stage:
Prioritize Sleep: Create a consistent bedtime routine and ensure your sleep environment promotes restfulness. Consider mindfulness techniques to quiet racing thoughts.
Seek Professional Support: For complex trauma, working with a trauma-informed therapist is critical to guide you through reprocessing traumatic memories and rebuilding resilience.
Reevaluate Priorities: Reflect on your core values and align your daily activities with what matters most. Let go of what no longer serves you.
Fuel Your Body: Focus on nutrient-dense foods rich in magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants to support recovery.
Engage in Joyful Activities: Rediscover hobbies or interests that bring you a sense of purpose and connection.
Practice Patience: Healing from trauma-related exhaustion is often a long-term process. Acknowledge small progress milestones and give yourself grace along the way.
Why Completing the Stress Cycle Matters
Completing the three stages of the stress cycle is essential because it allows your body to reset and return to a balanced state, preventing the damaging effects of chronic stress. When the stress response remains unresolved, it perpetuates heightened cortisol levels and physiological strain, leading to burnout and long-term health consequences.
Addressing and completing the cycle not only mitigates these risks but also enhances resilience, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. It ensures you’re equipped to handle future challenges effectively without depleting your physical, emotional, and mental resources.
Physical Health: Increases risk of heart disease, diabetes, and digestive disorders.
Mental Health: Amplifies anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
Emotional Health: Heightens emotional reactivity and reduces resilience.
Relational Health: Strains relationships and reduces social support.
Environmental Health: Creates chaos in your surroundings, mirroring internal stress.
Existential Health: Disconnects you from your values, purpose, and fulfillment.
Practical Steps to Break the Stress Cycle
Recognize Your Triggers: Identify the stressors that consistently push you into the alarm stage.
Develop a Toolbox: Equip yourself with stress management strategies like exercise, mindfulness, and time management.
Build Resilience: Foster healthy habits in all six dimensions of deep health—physical, mental, emotional, relational, environmental, and existential.
Check in Regularly: Evaluate your stress levels weekly and adjust your coping strategies as needed.
Seek Guidance: Working with a health coach can provide a personalized roadmap to stress recovery, helping you implement sustainable changes and achieve lasting results.
Final Thoughts: The Path Forward
Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it doesn’t have to control you. By understanding the three stages of the stress response cycle and taking deliberate steps to complete it, you can break free from chronic stress and embrace a healthier, more balanced life. Remember, recovery is a journey—and each step you take brings you closer to thriving in alignment with your values and priorities.
Your well-being is worth it. Start completing the cycle today.
Article References
The sources cited in the article:
Forbes. "Chronic stress? Three Steps to Complete the Stress Response Cycle." Forbes - Complete the Stress Response Cycle
healthline. “What is General Adaptation Syndrome?” healthline - What is General Adaptation Syndrome?
PsychCentral. "How to Complete the Stress Response Cycle." PsychCentral - How to Complete the Stress Response Cycle
Verywell Health (VH). “What is General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?” VH - What is General Adaptation Syndrome?
