We are harnessing the power of positive psychology to prepare for the inevitable challenges that will arise on our expedition. I, Abby, am taking a class on Positive Psychology this semester at UW-Madison, where my final paper is a Literature Review and Flourishing Plan that applies the PERMA framework to a community of my choice. The PERMA model, as described by Seligman, outlines five pillars-- Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment-- that work together to improve personal and community well-being (Seligman 2011). I chose to write about how each aspect of PERMA can be integrated into both expedition preparation and everyday expedition practices to develop flourishing in order to improve the likelihood of a successful expedition.

Positive Emotions

Mindfulness, daily gratitude practices, and emotional work have been shown to boost positive emotions. During our preparation, we are incorporating mindfulness and gratitude practices into our daily routines so positive emotions become an unconscious and reliable aspect of the trip. Mindfulness is the act of becoming present in one’s life. It can help allow someone to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. To help practice gratitude, we start each meeting by sharing three things we are grateful for from the previous week. During our expedition, we will be utilizing the Rose, Bud, Thorn gratitude framework. This will help us identify the joy in our lives, despite any challenges we encounter. Emotional work can shift the mindset around challenges and cultivate positivity.  One example of emotional work is the mindset shift from “I can’t do it, it’s too hard” to “This is hard, and I can do it” which embraces adversity while empowering them to push past their mental barrier. These techniques will promote individual joy and improve team morale.

Engagement

The pillar of engagement relates to flow states-- an optimal psychological state where one is completely absorbed in a challenging activity. Flow states occur when the perceived challenge matches one’s evaluation of applicable skills but are inhibited by anxiety and self-doubt (Adventure Psychology p 161). Expeditions, by nature, contain physical obstacles that require skill to overcome, which is a perfect recipe for flow states. In expeditionary preparation, developing and training skills can improve challenge-skill perceptions. Engagement during the expedition is expanded by maintaining focus and entering the obstacle after fully examining it. Scouting a rapid before running it exemplifies this concept. If there is a surprise waterfall in the middle of suspected class 2 rapids, anxiety will rise, resulting in a broken flow state. Engaging in these strategies will improve flourishing throughout our expedition.

Relationships

Expeditions occur in unforgiving and remote environments so crews must rely on each other for survival and successful completion of the expedition.Even though the four of us are good friends and have been on trips together before, it is still important for us to focus on improving our relationships before embarkation. Communication is a critical driver of expeditionary success because open communication can help maintain or bolster trust within the group, thus strengthening inter-group relationships. Building up these relationships in the planning stage can help create a normative environment of social support while on the expedition. Some useful techniques we are utilizing are talking through conflict resolution techniques, practicing open communication when planning the expedition, and going on shake-out trips. Talking through conflict resolution and having open communication can help to eliminate problems that arise during the expedition. Practicing emotional conversations in the planning phase can make difficult conversations easier during the trip as it allows members to trust each other and have experience to draw on when those topics eventually arise. Building these relationships and preparing for relationship pitfalls during the expedition improves the pillar of relationships, thus incorporating flourishing into the expedition.

Meaning

Meaning and accomplishment go hand in hand during an expedition as they create a reason to continue when faced with hardships. The difference between these two pillars during an expedition is that meaning relates to the greater mission of the expedition, whereas accomplishment relates to achieving goals.

In the preparation phase of an expedition, meaning applies through defining the shared purpose or mission of the trip. Our trip has a couple of purposes-- promoting gender equality by becoming the first all female crew to paddle this route and environmental justice by paddling in support of permanent protection for the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness from copper nickel mining in the rainy river watershed. During the expedition, reflective practices become important to keep the meaning of the trip at the forefront of one’s mind. Reflecting on trip experience can enhance one’s meaning and reinforce the purpose and motivation within the expedition, thus promoting flourishing throughout the expedition. 

Accomplishment

In a similar vein, accomplishment can also be used within the expeditionary framework for motivational purposes. Accomplishment’s role in expeditions is simple—set realistic goals and benchmarks and engage in reflective practices. In the preparation phase, setting long-term goals can range from simply completing the expedition to a physical accomplishment within the greater expedition, like portaging longer distances without stopping. However, motivation can be lost when a goal seems so far away in the moment. During the expedition, short-term goal setting is imperative to keeping motivation high in the challenging times after the initial excitement of the expedition has passed, but the end is still far away. It is important to celebrate the everyday wins. Short-term goal setting is incorporated into the Rose Bud Thorn framework discussed in the positive emotion section. A bud is not only something to look forward to but also a goal to achieve the next day. Recognizing and celebrating these individual and team successes increases one’s sense of accomplishment, thus improving their well-being and flourishing throughout their expedition.

Conclusion

Expeditions mirror the balancing act that positive psychology prides itself on-- “(…) adventurers not only climb mountains to reach a physical summit and potentially feel positive emotions such as awe and joy in the achievement, but they may also find inspiration and meaning within the yin and yang of that ‘peak’ experience” (Reid & Kampman 2020). By combining all 5 pillars of PERMA during preparation which promotes flourishing, we can better ride the highs and lows of expeditions.

References

Reid, P., & Brymer, E. (2022). Adventure psychology: Going knowingly into the unknown. Taylor &  Francis.

Reid, P., & Kampman, H. (2020). Exploring the psychology of extended-period expeditionary  adventurers: Going knowingly into the unknown. 

Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 46, 101608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101608

Seligman, M. E. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being.  Simon & Schuster.

Planning an 85-day canoe expedition across 1,200 miles of wilderness is no small feat, but the four of us are determined to make this adventure a reality. By retracing the historic Voyageur Fur Trading Route, we’re not just setting out to explore, but to inspire others, especially young girls, to embrace paddlesports and outdoor adventure.

The journey ahead may seem daunting, but with careful planning, we’re creating a blueprint for success. Here's a peek into how we’ve been preparing for this massive adventure and the steps we’ve taken to ensure we’re ready for whatever lies ahead.

1. Weekly Meetings: Building a Strong Foundation

Our team meets once a week to brainstorm, delegate tasks, and assess progress. These meetings have become the backbone of our planning process, where we discuss everything from route details to gear needs, and even team dynamics. It’s vital that we stay on the same page as we work together to tackle both the physical and logistical challenges of this journey.

2. Crafting a Day-by-Day Itinerary

We started by creating a day-by-day itinerary to structure our route and ensure we’re making consistent progress without overextending ourselves. Each day has been carefully mapped out, taking into account the distances between campsites, water conditions, and potential resupply points along the way. We’ve broken down the trip into manageable chunks, with planned rest days to recharge and allow us to adjust to any unforeseen challenges.

3. A Carefully Designed Food Plan

When it comes to fueling a journey of this magnitude, having a solid food plan is crucial. We’ve spent hours researching and testing meal options that are not only lightweight and durable but also nutritious and energizing. We’ve selected dehydrated meals, energy-dense snacks, and other foods that can withstand the elements while providing the calories we need to power through long days on the water.

Our plan also includes carefully timed resupply points where we can replenish our food and restock any necessary supplies. It’s a balance between carrying enough to avoid running low and being strategic about the weight we carry. Once we pass the BWCAW, weight is less of a concern as the portages greatly decrease in both length and frequency. We are planning on increasing our calories twice over the trip, by 500 calories per day, to account for our adaptive metabolism. 

4. Building an Extensive Budget

Managing finances is key to making this expedition possible. We’ve put together an extensive budget with all the necessary expenses—from gear and canoes to permits, transportation, and emergency supplies. We’ve accounted for everything, including any unexpected costs, ensuring that we have the resources we need for the entire trip.

Fundraising has played a big part in our ability to stick to this budget. We’ve been actively reaching out to sponsors, applying for grants, and raising funds through GoFundMe, where people can support our mission and be a part of our journey.

5. Safety First: Comprehensive Safety Procedures

Safety is our top priority, and we’ve worked hard to develop comprehensive safety procedures to ensure we're prepared for any situation. From handling unexpected weather conditions to managing potential wildlife encounters, we’ve mapped out protocols for a variety of scenarios. Our team includes Abby, a Wilderness EMT, and Olivia, a Wilderness First Responder, so we have the medical expertise needed to respond to emergencies in remote settings. In addition to our certifications, we've created a detailed communication plan to stay in touch with emergency contacts during the expedition. Being prepared for the unexpected is a critical part of our overall strategy.

Looking Ahead: Ready for the Adventure

As we move closer to our expedition, we’re filled with anticipation and excitement for the journey ahead. The ongoing planning process has been an incredible opportunity to bond as a team, test our problem-solving skills, and refine every aspect of our route. We know that the journey will be challenging, but we’re confident that the preparation we’ve done will set us up for success.

We can’t wait to hit the water and share this adventure with all of you. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to prepare for this historic and groundbreaking expedition!

Join Us on the Journey!

If you’d like to support our mission or follow along with our adventure, be sure to check out our GoFundMe page and follow us on social media for updates, photos, and stories from the water. Together, we can inspire a new generation of women in the outdoors and bring attention to the importance of preserving our natural landscapes.