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How to Pigeonhole Your Thoughts and Emotions For Dummies
Have you ever seen a shoe organizer? The kind that hangs on the back of a door? They’re very versatile and easy to use. I use it to stock the extras (make-up, toiletries, cold medicines, etc.) that won’t fit in the bathroom any other way. Now that you have a visual…
Did you know that you can sort your thoughts and emotions the same way? It’s called compartmentalizing. Forbes Magazine defines it this way:
“Psychology defines compartmentalization as a defense mechanism, or a coping strategy, which doesn’t impart a very good connotation. Put simply, it is how our minds deal with conflicting internal standpoints simultaneously. Some examples would be: a religious doctor, but has to separate her belief system from her practice at a women’s health clinic; a man who leaves his office at 6 pm, and refuses to think about work for the rest of the evening, so he can enjoy his time with his family or, at its extreme, soldiers who need to file away the trauma of horrific events in their minds, so they can continue operating in battle.”
To use some of my examples:
Taking care of my dying mother in her last days even though she was abusive when I was a child,
Working the 9/11 disaster with “tunnel vision” so that I could do my job,
