The first stage people feel when they are stressed is the aforementioned flight or fight response. Typically, this will involve muscle tension and a drying of the mouth. The next stage is called resistance. This is when we fight back. Some people's bodies release anti-inflammatory hormones at this stage to help them handle their stresses, but others may not be so lucky and take longer to recover. The next step is called the coping or recovery stage. This is when the physical manifestations of the fight or flight response go away. However, residual psychological stresses may remain. The fourth stage is known as adaptation. This is when we learn how to better cope with the particular stressors that set us off in the first place. Finally, there is the burnout stage. Essentially, this occurs when we are exposed to stage one repeatedly without enough time for stages two, three and four to run their course in full.
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