If you’ve ever felt like you’re “just about coping,” constantly firefighting through the week and waking up already drained, you may be stuck in a stress cycle your body was never designed for.
Stress isn’t all bad. In fact, we’re biologically wired to deal with it. Back in the 1930s, endocrinologist Hans Selye described a process called the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) — a three-stage response to stress that helps the body manage challenges.
🔹 Stage 1: Alarm
This is the fight-or-flight reaction — your body floods with adrenaline and cortisol, ready to take action.
🔹 Stage 2: Resistance
If the stressor doesn’t go away, your body tries to adapt. Energy is diverted to staying alert, but at a cost. Immune function and emotional regulation start to decline.
🔹 Stage 3: Exhaustion
Eventually, resources run out. This is where burnout, health breakdown, or emotional overwhelm often kick in. For many professionals, this stage creeps in silently.
Many high performers unknowingly live in stage 2 — keeping going, appearing functional, but internally depleted. And when we ignore the signs, the shift to exhaustion can feel sudden — but it’s usually been building for a long time.
The good news? With the right support and strategies, recovery is possible.
Start by paying attention to what your body’s been trying to tell you. Often, it's not that you're weak — it's that you've been strong for too long without proper recovery.
Executive Coach for Senior Men | Author | 20+ Years in Manufacturing Leadership
I work with senior men navigating leadership pressure, transition and loss of direction after years…
