Working under pressure onboard

Heavy weather, time pressure, increased workload, complex paperwork, high traffic and other dangers in the form of accidents, injuries, and diseases, are only a few difficulties that can make seafarers’ life onboard challenging. If the loneliness, separation from family, fatigue and limited recreation activity are added to the equation, crews have a lot of pressure to encounter while working onboard.

Working under pressure onboard: How to cope

1. Prioritize. Prioritizing tasks by urgency and importance and sorting out those less urgent or important tasks which you do not have to do yourself reduces stress levels.
2. Work against procrastination. Procrastination often extends the normal time you would need to complete a task, thus increasing stress and triggering feelings of guilt. Dealing with paperwork is among the tasks that many crew members would pleasantly postpone.
3. Don’t neglect your breaks. When in a rush to get a task done, it is easy to skip lunch or your 10-minute break, but this is the most common trap to productivity.
4. Expect the unexpected. Unexpected situations are a normality for life onboard. Learning to expect the unexpected can help seafarers develop the mental readiness for any tasks.
5. Work as a team. Teamwork promotes mutual support and is crucial in stressful situations.

VOCABULARY:

• heavy weather – штормовая погода
• increased workload – увеличенная рабочая нагрузка
• complex paperwork – сложная документация
• high traffic – высокая интенсивность движения
• injuries – травмы
• diseases – болезни
• loneliness – одиночество
• separation from family – разлука с семьёй
• limited recreation activity – ограниченная возможность для отдыха
• encounter pressure – сталкиваться с давлением
• prioritize tasks by urgency and importance – расставлять приоритеты задач по срочности и важности
• reduce stress levels – снижать уровень стресса
• work against procrastination – бороться с прокрастинацией
• increase stress – увеличивать стресс
• trigger feelings of guilt – вызывать чувство вины
• postpone tasks – откладывать задачи
• neglect your breaks – пренебрегать перерывами
• expect the unexpected – ожидать неожиданное
• develop the mental readiness – развивать психологическую готовность
• work as a team – работать в команде
• promote mutual support – способствовать взаимной поддержке

Больше интересной информации вы можете узнать на курсах в разделе «Морской английский с EnRoute Language Center» по ссылке: https://educationmarine.com/english-enroute/