Stress Managment (finish) Flashcards
Define stress and what are the two types?
A reaction, or response to adverse environmental conditions called stressors.
Acute - short term
Chronic - long term
Define arousal
the ability to perform the work under the effects of stress. It is essentially the readiness of a person to complete the task.
Explain the relationship between stress and arousal.
Humans require a certain amount of arousal/interest in order to achieve optimum performance.
If we have low arousal, the performance will be low and if there is too much arousal, performance diminishes due to over-stress.
Describe how the following environmental stressors affect pilot performance:
(a) heat (b) cold
40°C is the upper limit (Hyperthermia)
For most people 20°C is comfortable, If it gets too hot you may not function very well
Temperatures below 15°C cause discomfort and feeling and control may be lost in the hands (Hypothermia)
Describe how the following environmental stressors affect pilot performance: (noise)
Excessive noise causes stress on the body, and an individual’s attention tends to become focused on that, rather than any tasks at hand. This can lead to un-trapped errors
Describe how the following environmental stressors affect pilot performance: (vibration) (4)
- May cause fatigue and can affect both vision and motor performance
- Frequency will effect symptoms
- Below 10Hz can interfere with breathing
- Between 10Hz – 20Hz can affect vision and cause headache and speech difficulties
Describe how the following environmental stressors affect pilot performance: (humidity)
- Standard room humidity is approximately 55%
- The cabin air in an aircraft is 10-15%
- This can cause drying out of the nose throat and eyes
- Drink water to prevent dehydration!!!
Explain methods of identifying stress. (Emotional, physical, behavioural, mental)
Emotional - over compensation, denial, suspicion, paranoia, agitation, restlessness or defensiveness
Physical - acute fatigue
Behavioural - criticism, tendency to be argumentative, arrogance and hostility
Mental - constant worry, forgetfulness, inability to focus, poor judgement, pessimism
Describe the physiological effects of stress. (7)
- Low energy
- Nervousness
- Aches/pain/tension
- Upset stomach
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dry mouth
- Insomnia
Describe the psychological effects of stress. (6)
- Concentrating on a single event
- Exhibiting poor judgement
- Becoming easily disorientate
- Distracted
- Taking a resignation attitude
- Becoming fatigued
Describe the factors that improve personal stress tolerance.
- find opportunity in the challenge
- look at the bigger picture
- build in recovery time
Describe the relationship between stress and fatigue.
Stress x time = fatigue
Explain methods of managing stress.
- Recognise that there is a stress related problem
- Accept that it exists
- Do something about it
- remove the stressor or reduce the effect.
Explain how individuals differ in their requirement for sleep.
At different ages there are different amounts of sleep required for the individual. This is what makes us feel sleepy and tells us when we have had enough sleep.
So the individuals’ homeostatic mechanism is what’s telling you whether you feel tired and when you feel awake.
Explain the effects of the following alertness management techniques:
napping
Naps of less than about 45 minutes do not result in sleep inertia. Use napping sensibly before a shift.
Explain the effects of the following alertness management techniques: caffeine consumption
Caffeine may be used as a short-term solution and can be very effective when coupled with a nap.
Beware the post-caffeine dip though, when the caffeine wears off!
Explain the effects of the following alertness management techniques: taking sedatives
Sedatives act on the central nervous system and suppress mental alertness. Melatonin has been promoted to help sleep and cure jet lag, but it should not be taken without advice from a specialist
Sleep inducing drugs are sometimes prescribed. When they are, they need to be used to cure situational (short term) insomnia NOT clinical insomnia.
Explain the effects of the following alertness management techniques: stimulants other than caffeine.
If stimulants other than caffeine, e.g. Dexadrine and Benazadrine are required to stay awake, the pilot is unfit to fly
Any such “pep pills” impair judgement and cause a dangerous level of over confidence; two characteristics that want to be avoided in an aircraft
What is clinical and situational insomnia?
Clinical insomnia - Difficulty sleeping in normal circumstances; an inability to sleep when the body requires sleep
Situational insomnia - Difficulty sleeping because the biological rhythms are disturbed due to travel and shift work
What are the 4 other types of sleep disorders?
Sleep Walking/Sleep Talking – Neither usually pose a problem to pilots
Narcolepsy – Sufferers fall asleep even when involved in a situation requiring their full attention. This would preclude a flying career
Sleep Apnoea – Temporary cessation of breathing during sleep, may cause the sufferer to wake often causing sleep deprivation
Define fatigue.
an increased discomfort with lessened capacity for work and a reduced efficiency of accomplishment.
Also a loss of power or capacity to respond to stimulation, usually being accompanied by a feeling of weariness and tiredness
What are the two types of fatigue?
Acute Fatigue - Short term
related to current activities and the pilot will recover when the situation resolves itself. It is easily recognised and fixed by not flying.
Chronic Fatigue - Long term
more serious and there is a cumulative effect, this makes the body susceptible to illness and increased stress. It can be difficult to recognise, a pilot must stop flying
What are the causes of fatigue? (8)
- Disturbed or insufficient rest
- Low humidity (dehydration)
- Glare
- Vibration
- Noise
- Anxiety
- Disturbance of biological rhythms
- Excessive physical or mental activity
What does fatigue do on short vs long haul pilots?
Short haul pilots are often unable to compensate for early wake ups by falling asleep earlier. Therefore multi-leg duties and repetitive early starts are main causes of fatigue.
Long haul pilots also encounter fatigue from long flights and crossing multiple time zones
What are the physical symptoms of fatigue? (6)
- General feeling of tiredness
- Reduction in vigilance
- Growing and irresistible need to sleep
- Inadvertent napping
- Lethargy
- Slowed reaction time
What are the mental symptoms of fatigue? (8)
- Difficulties memorising information
- Lack of concentration
- Periods of inattention
- Slower understanding
- Tendency to forget information and actions
- Bad mood
- Poor decision making
- Apathetic
