Assess My Stress
Assessing our own stress level can be challenging, like trying to decide if you’re fatigued while your decision-making process is impaired by fatigue. Here is a link to an article on the subject Assess My Stress.
A tool to “assess my own stress” can be very useful. It is not intended to replace a formal medical or psychological evaluation by a qualified mental health professional (if that’s what’s needed). Below is an online stress assessment tool I like that uses a standard Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaire. This test is provided by a company called “Be Mindful Online” and can be found at the following link:
https://www.bemindfulonline.com/test-your-stress/
After taking the PSS and getting a score, you may consider the levels of action available to you.
There are three basic levels available depending on your stress level. Decide where you fit and take the appropriate action keeping in mind that personal growth usually happens outside your “comfort zone”. The earlier you take action, the better the outcome!
Level 1, LOW. Getting enough sleep, adequate exercise, healthy diet and (my recommendation) Mindfulness Meditation. If you have questions about this approach, check out our FAQ’s or contact me using the Contact Us link on this website.
Level 2, MEDIUM. Try the free introduction to mindfulness meditation on this website and see if it helps. If your airline has a Wingman program or Peer Support group, check in with them (if you trust them). If not, confidential independent help is available. You’re welcome to contact me for a free consultation.
Another excellent resource is Matt McNeil (a fellow pilot and licensed clinical mental health counselor). Matt and his company LiftAffect are internationally recognized for helping pilots deal with anxiety and stress, keeping them flying and getting them back in the cockpit if they’ve gone out on medical. He can be reached through his website www.liftaffect.com
Level 3, HIGH! If your level of stress or anxiety is high or interfering with your ability to operate safely as a crewmember, do not fly! Take yourself off flying status and get help from a professional. If you aren’t sure where to go, LiftAffect is always a safe and confidential place to start.
If you’re interested in my story and the process I went through (including the bad choices I made), check out My Story in the About Us section of this website.
