Approximate reading time: 4 minutes

Example 1: Hiker Encountering a Dog

• Alarm Reaction: Imagine you are back hiking in the forest and suddenly encounter that large, barking dog. Your immediate reaction is a surge of energy and alertness, similar to the fight-or-flight response. You freeze, your heart races, and you quickly assess whether to confront the dog or flee.
• Stage of Resistance: If the dog continues to be a threat or follows you, you enter the stage of resistance. You might start taking measures like looking for a stick for defence, or planning an escape route. Your body remains alert and ready to respond, but the intense fear from the initial encounter has subsided into a cautious vigilance.
• Stage of Exhaustion: If the menacing dog follows you for hours in the woods, you may reach the stage of exhaustion. The ongoing stress of dealing with the dog could lead to your feeling constantly anxious, fatigued, and unable to enjoy your hike. This stage illustrates how prolonged exposure to a stressor can significantly impact your physical and mental well-being.

Example 2: Leaking Roof

• Alarm Reaction: You are sleeping in bed when you are awakened by the feeling of water dripping on your face. When you first notice the leak in your ceiling, you experience a burst of energy and alertness. This immediate reaction prompts you to rush for a ladder and find the source of the leak in the roof.
• Stage of Resistance: As the leak continues over a couple of days, while you wait for someone to repair the leak, you adapt to the situation, managing it with temporary solutions like moving furniture and strategically placing buckets to catch the raindrops. You body remains alert, but less intensely than during your initial reaction.
• Stage of Exhaustion: A week has passed, and you’re still awaiting the roof repair team. The routine of constantly monitoring and emptying the buckets brimming with rainwater has become exhausting. The relentless drip, drip, drip of rainwater seeping through your bedroom ceiling and into the buckets is driving you nuts! Your resilience is wearing thin. Your prolonged stress causes you to feel irritable and fatigued, your sleep is disturbed by the slightest sounds, and your concentration during the day is getting worse. This stress is not just an annoyance, it’s wrecking your physical well-being; you have headaches and you feel increasingly anxious and unable to relax even when the rain stops. The situation underscores how ongoing stress can lead to significant decline of physical and mental health, affecting your daily life and overall well-being. When will the roof repair folks arrive?