For what little it's worth, in my limited time at the sharp end, in any non-normal situation I was happy enough to use SOP but - having done that - it was never a case of then just sitting back "fat, dumb, and happy".
The last item of any NNCL for me was always "think think think and then think some more".
- What's happening?
- What else can I do?
- How's this working?
- Anything else I need to think of?
- Rinse and repeat until safely on the ground with all donkeys fast asleep.
There was never a point in any non-normal situation where I'd just "sit back and relax" - always something to monitor or do or think ahead to.