Researchers have tried to investigate whether hypnosis can be used to manage workload, especially in the workplaces characterized by too much task assignments. Due to its ability to induce mental absorption and relaxation, hypnosis is being considered in the management of fatigue, resource and workload. For instance, Ericksonian hypnosis is a technique used in the medical field and other areas to achieve the same results. Doctors who have been trained in how to use it can apply it in managing fatigue and resources.
In a study that examined how hypnosis can help in the cognitive resource recovery, researchers compared hypnosis and physical exercise based on their different effects on cognitive abilities of two groups of individuals. Since physical activities are known to affect cognitive performance in various ways depending on their intensities, the researchers endeavored to find out how hypnosis also affects mental state. The researchers then compared three different types of breaks for workers faced with different levels of workload. They used the multi-task battery (MATB) to deeply examine the question of whether hypnosis can help reduce fatigue when workload is increased. They chose the aviation workplace since this is on[e work environment characterized by increased cases of fatigue due to too much work.
Hypnosis was found to be a good option for rest than exercise. Individuals who took work breaks with hypnosis had significant improvements in the performance of certain tasks. Less fatigue was reported for both the exercises during and after participating in the two activities that involved exercise and hypnosis. It was determined that providing work resources would not automatically translate to enhanced performance for organizations. The effort put in one’s work is what will determine performance. Concerning fatigue results and changes in workload, it was determined that small amounts of time spent resting was much valuable. Fatigue is one of the results of workload that has been confirmed in various workplaces, not only in Aviation. For individuals who underwent hypnosis, it was found that their fatigue levels reduced. This could be explained by the fact that the individuals were highly responsive to hypnotic suggestibility.
The researchers emphasize that auto-hypnosis (self hypnosis) can be adopted by pilots and other category of workers to help them manage stress and fatigue. Stress and fatigue is often associated with the perceptions of increased workload, and individuals who are forced to multitask often experience increased stress levels. Stress may also result from wrongful perceptions on task demands and the needed resources. Multitasking may result in stress because it makes individuals to have a divided attention, for which humans were not designed. These high workload effects can be successfully ameliorated through hypnosis, which is a technique that has been found to be effective in inducing relaxation.
References
Robain, M. P. Human Resource Recovery: Does Hypnosis Help Manage Fatigue When Workload is Increased?. In H-Workload 2018: 2nd International Symposium on Human Mental Workload: Models and Applications (p. 33).
