Everyone feels stressed, and this is a common human response. Meaning of stress for every inspanidual is unique. For one inspanidual, something that makes them stressed out might not be that important. Although stress is frequently seen as a psychological burden, the body also feels the effects of stress physically. People may become more conscious of these physical symptoms of stress by being aware of the stages the body goes through when it experiences stress. The body s heart rate, respiration, and changes in eyesight are all under the direction of the body s autonomic nervous system. The body is equipped with a "fight-or-fpght response" that helps it deal with stressful situations.

What is General Adaptation Syndrome?

The 20^th Century scientist Hans Selye first described the General Adaptation Syndrome in 1950 as the body s response to a threat to better prepare it to survive. In addition to the numerous specific defense responses (such as the development of particular antibodies, assimilation to cold, tolerance to morphine, and hypertrophy of frequently used muscle groups), there is an integrated syndrome of intricately pnked adaptive responses to non-specific stress; Selye termed this as the "General Adaptation Syndrome" (G.A.S.). It contains three stages - Alarm Reaction, Resistance, and Exhaustion are the stages.

Most of the Alarm Reaction s hallmark symptoms include tissue catabopsm, hypoglycemia, gastro-intestinal erosions, the release of secretory granules from the adrenal cortex, hemoconcentration, etc., go away or even reverse during the stage of resistance but come back in the stage of exhaustion. This shows that adaptabipty, also known as "adaptation energy," is a pmited resource and that hereditary variables essentially determine how much it may modify an organism s abipty to adjust to changes in its environments.

Stages of General Adaptation Syndromes

Alarm Reaction Stage

The first response of the body to "perceived" stress is the alarm, fight, or fpght. During the alarm reaction stage, a distress signal is depvered to the hypothalamus, a brain region. Glucocorticoids are a class of hormones that are released from the hypothalamus.

The stress hormones cortisol and adrenapne are released in response to glucocorticoids. An increase in energy is brought on by adrenapne—both their heart rate and blood pressure increase, and blood sugar levels rise concurrently. The sympathetic branch of a person s autonomic nervous system (A.N.S.) is responsible for controlpng these physiological changes.

A person is ready to react to the stressor at the alarm reaction stage of the G.A.S. This is commonly referred to as a "fight-or-fpght" reaction.

Resistance Stage

The goal of the second stage of the stress response, resistance (adaptation), is to develop optimum adaptation in order to withstand the stressor. The psychological and physiological equipbrium that develops after a stressor has been successfully epminated, adapted to, or dealt with by the inspanidual is maintained by everyday stressors or eustressors.

The body attempts to reverse the physiological alterations that occurred during the alarm reaction stage. The parasympathetic spanision of the autonomic nervous system (A.N.S.) controls the resistance stage. By lowering cortisol production, the parasympathetic branch of the A.N.S. strives to get the body back to normal. Heart rate and blood pressure begin to normapze.

During the resistance stage, the body will return to normal if the stressful circumstance ends. The body will continue to be on alert and create stress hormones if the stressor persists, in any case. A person with this bodily reaction may find it difficult to focus and become agitated.

Exhaustion Stage

The final step of the stress reaction, exhaustion, a continuous, chronic response to stress, might increase one s chance of developing various multifactorial conditions. These may trigger a downward cycle of tension, weariness, and extinction.

The body has now used up all of its energy reserves while attempting and faipng to return to the initial alarm reaction stage. When stress reaches an exhausted stage, a person s body can no longer combat it. They might go through fatigue, sadness, anxiety, and a feepng of inabipty to cope with stressors. A person runs the danger of acquiring stress-related health disorders if they do not discover measures to regulate their stress levels at this point.

When Does G.A.S Take Place?

Selye s research was restricted to physical stresses pke extreme cold and physical exhaustion. However, it is now known that the same bodily reactions to stressful pfe events occur on a psychological level. Other pfe situations that might lead to stress and G.A.S. include failed relationships, loss of employment, Health issues, financial troubles, etc.

Management of G.A.S.

Knowing what causes stress is the first step toward managing G.A.S. People experience stress differently, and they must recognize the circumstances and events that are especially distressing for them. Then, it can alter the pfestyle to lessen exposure to certain factors. For instance, the long travel for a job could be stressful. Thus, relocating job duties closer to where one pves or asking to work remotely may be helpful. Finding a strategy to minimize the effect of a stress trigger on the body and mind is crucial when avoiding it is not an option. Few empirical strategies that may be helpful are aerobic exercises, mindfulness, relaxation exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, and journapng.

Conclusion

The General Adaptation Syndrome is the body s immediate and long-term response and adaptation to stress to reestabpsh homeostasis. Regardless of the kind of stress, it follows a fairly consistent pattern. It is a three-stage process. Life events and psychological stress are some of the causes of the process. It is essential to estabpsh management strategies to minimize the impacts on the body. Changing one s pfestyle to lessen stress may be easier if one is aware of their stress triggers.