human underlay and overload and stress and stuff Flashcards
stress
natural and inescapable non specific response to demands placed on it 2 forms: eustress- good distress- bad
stress is cumulative- transfer between situations
how someone processes info can affect what stress they experience
factors influencing stress
the stressor personality environment physiological state many things
general adaption syndrome (GAS)
mechanism by which individual reacts to a perceived threat
triggered by ANS: sympathetic & parasympathetic branches
3 stages:
alarm reaction
resistance
exhaustion
alarm reaction
controlled by sympathetic branches first presented with threat adrenaline and cortisol released increased : HR , breathing, sugar level, slowed digestion energy burst
acute stress- short term
resistance stage
parasympathetic takes over
body tries to return to normal by reducing amount of cortisol produced
stress situation ends= go back to normal
stress continues= stress hormones continue to be produced
exhaustion stage
resistance carries on for too long without relief of waste products too much cortisol don't have strength to fight stress get: fatigue depression anxiety burnout decreased stress tolerance possible hearing loss headaches and other stuff
chronic stress- long term
adaption syndrome reactions
psychological: brain registers fear
psychosomatic: brain triggers release of hormones adrenaline and sugars into the blood
somatic: responses of various organs of the body to the hormonal chemical releases
5 categories of stressors (stress stimuli)
environmental imaginary organisational life reactive
environmental stressors
conditions put a straight on the homeostatic mechanism or nullify it completely
internal: hunger, fatigue etc
external:
temp- 20º comfortable
body temp=36.5º, <35 hypothermia (eventually coma & death), >37 hyperthermia (heat exhaustion and stroke)- body cant keep cool
vibration- body parts have different freq but avg resonant freq= 1Hz, things vibrate and cause distraction and pain
noise- impairs performance
humidity- normal= 40-60% RH, cabin= 10-20% RH
glare- causes visual fatigue
life stressors
every day life stuff
add significantly to operational stressors
can arise from factors like: hunger, thirst, pain , lack of sleep
death of a spouse is a primary life stressor
Reactive stressors
mental, cognitive
perceived demand exceeds perceived ability
stem from bodies reaction to specific events
examples
wind shear on final
short of fuel etc
Organisational stressors
from company or organisation include: insufficient manual flying sim checks pay medicals quick turn around pressure
imaginary stressors
anxiety
excessive stress can lead to excessive anxiety
individual believes they have no control over events
prevalent in people with low self confidence
can affect individuals physiologically as well
underload
too relaxed, bored, uninterested
causes: degradation in performance, loss of situational awareness, increase in errors
overload
individual have limit, if exceed stress overload occurs affect safety in flight behavioural changes prone to errors prone to bias omission unable to prioritise emotional mental blocks fixation
can reach a break point
break point
break point’ is the point after which, if stress continues to rise, performance is degraded and more errors and accidents occur
may mean cant even perform moderate tasks,
have break down, panic attack etc
Arousal
function of alertness, situational awareness, vigilance, level of distraction, stress and attention
how ready a person is to perform a task
can be over and under aroused
stress coping
direct action: removing problem, altering situation, removing stressor
cognitive coping: situation cannot be changed, we rationalise e.g “I can do it” before an exam, reduce emotional and physiological impacts before an exam
symptom directed coping: remove symptoms only
stress management
long term strategy
preventative- keep levels to a minimum
curative- reducing existing levels
health and fitness
relaxing
counselling techniques
Fatigue
extreme tiredness from mental or physical exertion or illness
short term acute fatigue
result of: lack of sleep long duty jet lag low motivation cured with sleep
long term chronic fatigue
more difficult to recognise result of: lack of physical or mental fitness domestic or work stress high workload
subjective
strategies to stop fatigue
in flight training conversation keep fit and healthy sleep eat balanced meals caffeine- short boost
fatigue risk management system
airline collect data and determine how fatigued crew are
