Cognition, emotions, and reflections on life at an isolated Polar Research Station: The explorers in their own words

Extreme environments – such as polar stations, space habitats or submarines – are characterised by a strict confinement to the habitat with one's colleagues, an isolation from loved ones at home and a hazardous physical environment. Living and working in such an environment has consequences for people's cognitive functions mental health which are often depicted as unpleasant. However, when these explorers are asked to share their experiences, a picture of joyful thriving emerges: people enjoy their extreme environment and its effect on their personal development. The aspect that is regarded as most difficult or dangerous is the rest of their team. My research focuses on 11 people who spent a year at the Polish Polar Station, Hornsund, Svalbard: a year away from home during which there was no daylight for three months. I will present results from the cognitive and mental health analyses as well as the qualitative phenomenological interviews, for the first time.