Stress Management Flashcards
Define: Stress
- Reaction, or response to adverse environmental conditions called stressors
- Fight, flight, freeze
- Surge of hormones release
- Suppose to be a short, sharp response to danger
- Long term can be detrimental to health
Define: Arousal
Readiness of a person to perform work.
- High arousal = active, animated and/or alert
Can be gained by emotions, adrenaline or caffeine
- Low arousal = slow, sluggish and/or sleepy
What are the physical, environmental, task-related, organisational and psychological stressors?
- Physical = fight or flight, body releases adrenaline to remove the threat
- Environmental - caused by stimulus such as high levels of vibration
- Task related ( work related) - actual demands of the task
- Organisational - a persons ability to cope with the demands of the job
- Psychological - pressure from peers to complete the task
How does heat affect pilot performance?
- 40 degrees C is the upper limit (Hyperthermia_
- For most people 20 degrees C is comfortable.
How does the cold affect pilot performance?
- Temperatures below 15 degrees C causes discomfort and feeling and control may be lost in the hands (Hypothermia)
How does noise affect pilot performance?
Causes stress on body, and the individuals attention tend to become focussed rather than general, leading to un-trapped errors.
How does vibration affect pilot performance?
- May cause fatigue - affects vision and motor performance
- Frequency will effect symptoms
- Below 10Hz can interfere with breathing
- Below 10Hz -20Hz can affect vision and cause headache and speech difficulties
How does humidity affect pilot performance?
- Room humidity = approx. 55%
- Cabin air in an aircraft = 10-15%
- Causes frying out of nose, throat, and eyes
Drink water.
What are methods of identifying stress?
- Emotional - over compensation, denial, suspicion, paranoia, agitation, restlessness or defensiveness
- Physical - acute fatigue
- Behavioural - criticism, tendency to be argumentative, arrogance and hostility
- Mental - worry, forgetfulness, inability to focus, bad judgement, pessimism
What is the difference between acute and chronic stress?
- Acute = short term
- Chronic = long term
What are the physiological effects of stress?
- Low energy
- Nervousness
- Aches/pain/tension
- Upset stomach
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dry mouth
- Insomnia
- Concentrating on a single even
- Exhibiting poor judgement
- Becoming easily disorientated
- Distracted
- Taking an resignation attitude
- Becoming fatigued
Describe the effects of stress on attention, motivation and performance.
- Factors decreases due to overload
- Some stress can be good motivation
- Motivation will decrease as the difficulty of the task increases and becomes overwhelming
Describe the factors that improve personal stress tolerance.
- Become knowledgeable about stress
- Take a systematic approach to problem solving
- Develop a lifestyle that will buffer against the effects of stress
- Practice behaviour management techniques
- Establish and maintain a strong support network
Describe the relationship between stress and fatigue.
Stress x Time = Fatigue
- A large amount of stress over a small time frame causes fatigue as does a small amount of stress over a long period of time
Explain the methods of managing stress.
- Recognise that there is a stress related problem
- Accept that it exists
- Do something about it
