What is Stress? Stress is defined as a mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health. In the United States, stress is one of the most frequently reported health problems. Under this definition, stress causes physical health problems such as an increase in heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. It is also known that stress is a major cause of “asthma, hypertension, backache, acne, lowered resistance, digestive problems, hair loss (in patches), fatigue, headaches, stomach aches, migraines, heart disease, muscle aches, and blurred vision” (Holtz).

Stress is caused by our daily life tasks. It can have both a positive and a negative affect on a person. On the positive side, stress forces us to action; it can increase a person’s awareness and lead them to see things in a new point of view. On the negative side, it can make a person have feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which can lead to health problems. “With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion, or a new relationship,

d) Multiple Roles (having to switch roles, “change hats”, or be different things to different people: “mother”, “wife”, “employee”, “best friend”)

a) Time Pressure (demands to perform work within specific time limits)

Like an outside force, stress begins with demands placed on us by our environment. Stress becomes a serious problem only when the demands in our life overwhelm our ability to effectively cope. In some cases, we increase stress by adding our own unreasonable demands to the expectations already placed upon us. (Holtz)

Therefore, medical surveillance should be converted from the predominant aspect of formal certification of “fitness for work”, derived from the lack of evidence of significant troubles and illnesses causing a decrease in medical fitness, into a more positive approach aimed at preserving the controller's health and well-being at best. (Costa)

Under the topic of “arrangement of shift schedules according to psycho-physiological and social criteria,” “shift work, in particular night work, is a further stress factor for the ATCs due to its negative effects on various aspects of their lives” (Costa). An example is “disturbances of the normal biological rhythms, beginning with the sleep/wake cycle” (Costa). Recent research has come up with some recommendations to deal with shift work. For example “reducing the number of consecutive night shifts as much as possible (one or two at most), and having a day’s rest after the night-shift period. This prevents accumulation of sleep deficit and fatigue, and allows a quicker recovery” (Wedderburn). Another topic that is in this element is the “participation in decision making” of air traffic controllers. Participation of the controllers can increase “influence, motivation, job satisfaction and performance efficiency, as well as to decrease

Some topics in this essay:
Costa Installation, Costa Costa, Costa Lastly, Organization ICAO”, Costa Research, Costa Recent, Costa Leisure, United Kingdom, Costa Companies, Costa According, air traffic, traffic controllers, air traffic controllers, stress air traffic, stress air, costa topic, stress stress, prevent stress, air traffic control, traffic controller, job satisfaction, traffic control, costa manual, air traffic controller, air traffic control”,