Audacity and mastery of one's environment are the keys to overcoming isolation

In Antarctica, this psychological profile has been studied by researchers, particularly thanks to athletes who attempt to cross the continent solo. Audacity is therefore defined in three acts: 

• A taste for challenge 
• Commitment to the team and the goal to be achieved 
• Believing that the final result can be influenced by the work put in, without being compromised by the circumstances 

On the polar stations of Antarctica, mental strength and know how is as important as in extreme competitions, even if the context is a little different. South of Cape Horn, on the Antarctic Peninsula, freezing temperatures and snowstorms create a hostile climate. 

About 40 polar stations are open during the summer. They are isolated and operate with limited and exhaustible energy reserves, material and human resources. 

Only 18 remain open in winter, with a reduced staff. A few hundred people live there, spread across these bases belonging to about 15 nations. Keeping busy is the best remedy for isolation, a bit like for skippers who repair and tidy up when the wind dies down. 

Winter residents include penguins and other animals. They also monitor the ice, the ocean and the atmosphere with a range of scientific instruments. But there are also people who bend sheet metal, tighten bolts, provide medical care, roll out flour and bake tarts. 

Psychologists who study polar missions believe that the ideal candidate for this type of mission must be able to adapt to stress. To do this, mastery of the environment is an essential feeling for mobilising one's resources and regaining control. If all goes well on the base, the team is the main resource of a polar mission. 

When the magic happens, it remains united around a few common values mission members cherish: mutual aid or adventure. They come closer and get to know each other to accomplish the mission despite their differences. Profiles are often varied: class, opinions, gender… Social factors can also be sources of stress. They face monotony, small everyday conflicts and must work together. 

For psychologists, candidates must be emotionally stable, tolerate frustration, not be too introverted or too extroverted, curious and open. 

More informations: 

What is the origin of the stress experienced on the Machu Picchu station? - Polar Journal 

Hardiness in the face of fear, the explorer against all odds - Polar Journal

Mastering your environment, the key feeling of wintering - Polar Journal