Ask Ron Besuijen
We ask Ron:
How can stress affect decision making and how training will reduce the physiological responses?
Ron's Response:
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was quoted as saying that the moments before the emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 were "the worst sickening, pit-of-your-stomach, falling-through-the-floor feeling" that he had ever experienced. This was after a forced landing in the Hudson River because a bird strike shutdown both engines. I can relate to this feeling.
Referring to the above diagram we can see that not all stress is bad. We need some arousal to keep us interested. However, if the stress is too high it can impair our performance. What your peak performance is, can depend on your experience and training.
There can be physiological responses to high stress situations. The brain may revert to a primitive response which overrides higher functions. Time may seem to slow down or speed up. Tunnel vision may limit the ability to see the big picture. Tunnel hearing may occur or a loss of hearing. A feeling of detachment may be experienced or feelings of dissociation. Coordination may be affected or shaking hands my impair the use of a keyboard. Speech may be affected, either a loss or a shrill voice that may be hard to understand. Most People do not normally panic. They are more likely to freeze and minimize the severity of the event.
In the next pod we will discuss how we respond to critical situations and how we can train and prepare for them.