5 ms·

There is a fundamental nature to aviation which I experience as a pilot, but is also very true for controllers. Planes can't just stop. If you decide you're i

by sfeng 12y ago

There is a fundamental nature to aviation which I experience as a pilot, but is also very true for controllers. Planes can't just stop. If you decide you're in a bad situation, or overloaded, or just can't cope, there is no reset button. You have to get the planes onto the ground, one by one, over the minutes or hours it takes. This need breeds a sort of trance-like calm in successful controllers, even in the most stressful conditions.

sharkweek 12y ago
Every time my stress has gotten really bad over any number of things (certainly none as critical as a plane's safe landing of course), at a certain point it does seem like a mental defense to just semi-accept that BEING stressed isn't going to help and things turn into a very calming feeling of "ok break this down as reasonably as possible and start fixing the problem"
- peteretep 12y ago
  I would find this in a previous stressful job. My mental state would change from "I NEED TO DEFEAT THIS!" to "This is impossible to win, so I'll just focus on doing my best", and the subsequent stress would subside.
- brandon272 12y ago
  If I am by myself I find it fairly simple to "turn off" my stress and focus on the task at hand, employing the same rationale that you mention: being stressed isn't helping anything so let's focus our energies on fixing this problem. One of the biggest obstacles I find in a working environment, however, is other people's stress. If someone is relying on me to fix a problem and they are very clearly stressed out about it, I find that their stress can impact me greatly. There is also the aspect that if I am able to be calm and focused during the stressful situation, while they are clearly stressed, it can be perceived as me lacking concern or having a blasé attitude toward the problem at hand, in comparison.

5 ms·

There is a fundamental nature to aviation which I experience as a pilot, but is also very true for controllers. Planes can't just stop. If you decide you're i

by sfeng 12y ago

sharkweek 12y ago
Every time my stress has gotten really bad over any number of things (certainly none as critical as a plane's safe landing of course), at a certain point it does seem like a mental defense to just semi-accept that BEING stressed isn't going to help and things turn into a very calming feeling of "ok break this down as reasonably as possible and start fixing the problem"
- peteretep 12y ago
  I would find this in a previous stressful job. My mental state would change from "I NEED TO DEFEAT THIS!" to "This is impossible to win, so I'll just focus on doing my best", and the subsequent stress would subside.
- brandon272 12y ago
  If I am by myself I find it fairly simple to "turn off" my stress and focus on the task at hand, employing the same rationale that you mention: being stressed isn't helping anything so let's focus our energies on fixing this problem. One of the biggest obstacles I find in a working environment, however, is other people's stress. If someone is relying on me to fix a problem and they are very clearly stressed out about it, I find that their stress can impact me greatly. There is also the aspect that if I am able to be calm and focused during the stressful situation, while they are clearly stressed, it can be perceived as me lacking concern or having a blasé attitude toward the problem at hand, in comparison.