Contrary to stereotypes, pilots are not devoid of anxiety or emotion. Experiencing anxiety in response to challenges is a natural and essential part of human psychology. Occasional anxiety acts as a crucial alert system, signalling us to pay attention and allowing our body to mobilize resources for the challenges ahead.
For pilots, this acute awareness and responsiveness can be vital in ensuring the safety of their passengers and crew. Anxiety helps manage our risk-taking behaviour, ensuring that we remain vigilant and cautious, making well-considered decisions under pressure.
Anxiety isn’t all bad. However, too much stress or anxiety can interfere with our ability to regulate attention, which can have serious consequences in aviation.
Sources of Stress and Anxiety
What causes stress or anxiety is personal. Most psychological symptoms or disorders are best
understood under a biopsychosocial framework:
- Biological - the body’s physiological, adaptive responses to fear
- Psychological - our thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions about our experiences
- Social - factors that may trigger, shape, weaken or strengthen biological and psychological vulnerabilities
Pilots can experience stress from the scrutiny and examination that is required as part of training and competency requirements. Time spent in training, studying, exams, medical, line and simulator checks can add a layer of continuous pressure.
In these scenarios, it is common for stress and anxiety to arise when a person perceives they do not have the skill to meet a challenge or fears not meeting particular standards when completing a specific task.
Performance anxiety may also arise in these situations and can affect those who are overly fearful of failing to finish a task or fulfil a responsibility properly, and it can occur in any type of situation with a seemingly important outcome.
Pilots are also subject to the pressures and stressors of daily life, including within our family, caregiving roles, being away from home and trying to meet day-to-day
demands.
Managing Stress and Anxiety
It's time to acknowledge the human side of pilots, recognising that they are subject to emotions and vulnerabilities. There are proactive steps that can be taken to help manage anxiety or stress in pressured environments. These strategies are generalized and may not be suitable for everyone. It's important to reach out to a professional if difficulties with anxiety or stress persist or interfere with daily functioning.
Healthy habits and awareness
Anxiety and stress are influenced in part by our perception of events. Being aware of internal thoughts and feelings is the first step toward management of stress and anxiety. Mild stress and anxiety respond well to similar coping mechanisms, such as physical activity, a nutritious and varied diet, and good sleep hygiene.
Cognitive reframing
Examine and challenge your thinking patterns to gain a different perspective on situations, ideas, or relationships. Often, anxiety arises when the future is perceived as negative, problematic, or dangerous.
Checking thoughts for evidence for or against a future outcome can help calm anxiety. For instance: What do I think is going to happen? Is that helpful or true? What are other ways of looking at the situation and what are other possible outcomes? Am I discounting positives?
If anxiety is related to perceived skill, engaging in positive self-talk to reassure ourselves of our skills, preparation, and previous success may also assist.
Mindfulness skill development
Regular mindfulness practice has been found to positively affect combat aviation pilots, resulting in a reduction in the physiological symptoms of anxiety related to performance and improvements in self perceived skills associated with mindfulness, attention regulation, and arousal regulation. Mindfulness practice can take many forms, such as meditation, breathing exercises, and grounding techniques.
Immediate stress reduction strategies
Taking a deep breath before performing or completing an intimidating task can ease anxiety. Grounding techniques can also help focus attention on the present scenario, rather than the anxiety experience.
For example, prompt yourself with the following to help with immediate grounding and attention regulation.
1. What are five things I can see?
2. What are four things I can hear?
3. What are three things I can feel?
4. What are two things I can smell?
5. What is one thing I can taste?
Strong social connections
Strong relationships with friends and family members can bolster your mood, improve your outlook, and preserve your mental well-being. Research shows that people with high levels of social support seem to be more resilient in the face of stressful situations.
Professional Support
While pilots are undoubtedly skilled and dedicated professionals, they are also human. If anxiety becomes problematic, early engagement with professional support is encouraged. Anxiety and stress can be successfully treated. Professional assistance can include psychological interventions such as:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - including
- imagery rehearsal and exposure therapy
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Skills Training
The Australian Federation of Air Pilots provides its members and their families with access to the Member Assistance Program (MAP). This program provides members with free and confidential access to psychologists for support for various mental health challenges or to help enhance their well-being.
Support is available for work or personal problems. Members are eligible to receive four sessions per issue, per annum. For example, a member may want to access four sessions for Anxiety and then four sessions for Well-being strategies.
The MAP is delivered by Psychologists working with PeopleSense by Altius. and can be accessed at any time on 1300 307 912.
Visit www.afap.org.au for a list of AFAP Welfare reps and links to welfare services.