Aircrew are in many ways a unique occupational group. Their frequent travels across the world often result in long periods away from partners, family, and friends at home. When this is compounded by irregular patterns of work and difficulties with planning ahead, there is a consequential lack of investment in personal living. This book provides a range of practical guidelines on how to overcome aircrew work-life inferences and offers an in-depth consideration of the various aspects of aircrew lifestyle that can challenge a person's emotional wellbeing. The book covers a number of potential problem areas, including sleep deprivation, health concerns, and aircrew group dynamics, as well as social and intimate relationships at home. The intention is to raise crews’ awareness of the various stressors, both at work and at home, that may affect their wellbeing. An equally important aim is to provide helpful guidelines that can allow crew to develop the necessary knowledge and skills for overcoming emotional difficulties. By reading this book you will be less stressed about perceived work-life conflicts, sleep deprivation, and
health concerns. You will be able to see your concerns and worries in a more positive way, which gives you the knowledge and confi dence needed to reconcile life at work with life outside of work. Thousands of workers have benefited from professional help on how to overcome work-life tensions and it is likely that you can learn the art of ‘making personal life fit work’ too! ‘Managing Work and Relationships at 35,000 Feet is essential reading for pilots and flight attendants around the world, whether they fly short- or long-haul. This book will prove to be a valuable tool for those who work in the airline and travel industry, as well as their families, friends and loved ones who often bear the greatest burden in terms of disruption to their lives. It will also appeal to those who train flight and cabin crew, aviation human resources specialists, therapists and psychologists, as well as doctors and nurses who work in the airline industry. Dr Carina Eriksen — herself a senior flight attendant as well as a highly experienced counselling psychologist — has studied the work patterns and lifestyle challenges to air crew and delved deeply into the emotional, cognitive and behavioural aspects of surviving and thriving psychologically as a pilot or flight attendant. This book, the first of its kind to address these sensitive topics, presents a fascinating insight into how air crew can best cope with their unique lifestyles. The book is thoroughly practical, free from abstract and difficult to understand psychological terms or ‘psychobabble’. It conveys a positive message that informed crew can enjoy better physical and mental health, can cope better with the job and improve their personal lives. Martin Casey, himself an experienced airline pilot, contributes a section on improving physical health and the role of exercise. Dr Eriksen also describes how and where crew members can find specialist medical and psychological support and help if they need it.'
- Robert Bor, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Specialist in Aviation Psychology, Royal Free Hospital, London Contents: 1. The aircrew role
2. Jetlag, fatigue and sleep deprivation
3. Professional relationships
4. Social relationships
5. Intimate relationships
6. Achieving a work-life balance
7. Physical health by Martin Casey
8. Considering a career in the airline
industry? About the Author: Dr Carina Eriksen is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist with many years experience of the Cabin Crew profession. She holds a BSc Honours in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Psychology from London Metropolitan University and a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. Working in the NHS as well as in private practice, she provides therapy to adults, adolescents, children, and families drawing on her speciality within Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Systemic orientations. She also offers psychological support within organisational settings, including stress management and work-life conflict. She is a visiting lecturer on the MSc in Air Transport Management at City University and has worked as a long-haul cabin crew member for a major UK airline for nearly eleven years. Her work has been published in books and scientific journals. She is a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society.
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