7 - Fatigue and Stress Flashcards
Stress
the nonspecific physiological response of the body to any perceived or actual demand place on it
Stressors
a stimulus or event that requires an individual to adjust or adapt in some way - emotionally, physiologically, or behaviourally
Types of stressors
Psychosocial - life events
- Family issues
- Job stress
- Illness
Environmental
- Hot/cold
- Speed
- Altitude
- Aircraft characteristics and design
- IF conditions
Physiological - self imposed (DEATH)
- Drugs
-Exhaustion
- Alchohol
- Tobacco
- Hyperglycaemia
Cognitive
- Musts/shoulds, inflexible mindset
- Choice/no choice
- Over engagement in past/future, not in the present moment
Stress responses
Emotional
- anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, hopelessness, inability to enjoy life
Behavioural
- decreased motivation, insubordination, conflict, social isolation, drug and alcohol abuse
Cognitive
- simplification heuristic
- perceptual tunnelling
- stress related regression
Physical
- overall heightened arousal
- increase HR, blood pressure, more rapid breathing, release of sugar/fats into the body to provide for “fight or flight”
Stress underload
Complacency, boredom, impulsive risk taking
Mitigation/management of stress
Avoid stressors, good planning, time management, realistic training. Staying fit, eating healthy
Change thinking
- positive self talk
- taking responsibility for actions
- avoiding perfectionism and inflexibility
- focusing on present
Learning to relax
- impossible to be relaxed and stressed ay the same time
- breathing techniques, quiet hobbies, meditation
Ventilating stress
- talking (professional or unprofessional), or vigorous exercise
Fatigue
The physical or mental impairment of performance associated with the pattern of work and rest
Acute - short lived, usually solved with rest
Chronic - inadequate recovery from periods of acute stress, cumulative. May have underlying factors that require remedy to recover on top of several weeks of rest.
Motivational exhaustion/burnout - untreated chronic fatigue eventually leads to the individual shutting down
Effect of fatigue on performance
Reduced reaction time
Reduced attention
Diminished memory
Change in mood/social interaction
Impaired communication
Typical circadian rhythm
Performance, alertness, and body temperate;
Peaks 0800-1200
Drops slightly 1300-1500
Increases again from 1500-2100
Drops again to a minimum 0300-0600 (circadian gates)
Driven by Zeitgebers - naturally occurring phenomena that regulate the bodys circadian rhythm (light, social interaction, temperature)
Sleep
