The Power of Compartmentalization

 

Oddly enough, I was introduced to the concept of compartmentalization while reading an article on how men cheating on their wives use this psychological tool (subconsciously) to manage the stress that results from having a wife in their lives on one side and a secret lover on the other side.

That was more than a decade ago and I don’t even remember the original source anymore, but the concept stuck with me.

I read about it extensively later on in life and got to know about its hidden potential to manage the day to day stress of the modern living.

I also came to know about how it is used in the training of soldiers who are sent to wage war and kill the “enemy”, and its usage in brainwashing people to do things they normally wouldn’t do.

The concept of compartmentalization is quite simple and you use it everyday to some extent, without even being consciously aware of it.

WHAT IS COMPARTMENTALIZATION

Compartmentalization is the psychological term for placing two or more conflicting thoughts, values, beliefs or aspects of one’s life in separate mental boxes, and believing that they got nothing to do with each other.

In simple words, if you have two beliefs that conflict with one another, your mind will put them in separate compartments, and will let you act out on one of them, without you having to deal with a lot of internal conflict or guilt while you are committing that act.

The guilt factor comes in if you are using the power of compartmentalization in a negative way.

REAL WORLD EXAMPLES OF COMPARTMENTALIZING – NEGATIVE USAGE

Remember President Bill Clinton waging his finger, looking America in the eye, and  announcing, "I did not have sex with that woman."?

Heard about the soldiers who are given the orders to shoot at sight without even knowing or inquiring why they are meant to do that?

“The enemy” is just a general term that is bombarded in their minds and they in spite of believing in the value of human life simply shoot even the unarmed innocent children and women, without any regret.

REAL WORLD EXAMPLES OF COMPARTMENTALIZING – POSITIVE USAGE

Remember the time when something tragic happened in the life of someone close to you, and you left the most important things you had to do that day, and went to spend the whole day caring and looking after your loved one?

Similarly, in the normal circumstances you wouldn’t harm a human being, but if you possess a firearm, and the life of your child or yourself is at risk, you won’t hesitate shooting the attacker at all.

These are just some of the examples of compartmentalization.

WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN TO COMPARTMENTALIZE

You might have observed that people who suffer emotional and/or physical pain in one area of their lives, usually let it seep into their whole personality and disturb themselves as well as the people close to them.

The loss of a job, death of a loved one, disease, financial setback or any emotional crisis may lead people into clinical depression. That happens because they are unable to contain the pain in one area of their lives spilling over to their whole existence.

You can stop this leakage of your personal power by using the psychological tool of compartmentalization.

If you have had a bad day at work that doesn’t mean you have to come home and shout at your kids or spouse.

If the traffic has been crazy, you don’t have to make people working with you crazy also.

If you are suffering from a disease, you don’t have to make everyone else sick also.

If your finances are out of control, that doesn’t mean you have to be drunk and abusive all the time.

You get my point, right?

Such irresponsible behaviors usually complicate the problem further, instead of solving it.

HOW YOU CAN USE THE POWER OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION

1. Create a gap between the stimulus and response. It simply means don’t react impulsively.

2. Acknowledge that you got a problem. I’m not telling you to ignore it. Instead, put it in a mental box for the time being, stack it away and go on with your life as you would normally do. If there is no emergency, you can deal with it later.

3. Change your state. I mean physical state, body stance, breathing rate, posture etc. Stand tall. Breathe deep. Drink a glass of water. Do something and don’t let the overwhelming feeling of reacting impulsively get the better of you.

4. When you leave your place of work, make a point of leaving behind all your work worries right there. Don’t bring them back home with you.

5. If the problem is with your kids, keep it with your kids and don’t let it affect your relationship with your spouse.

You got to learn to contain the problem in its natural boundaries and stop it from affecting everything else you do.

Get out of your problem indulged mindset. Box up the pain, the hurt, the problem bothering you, stack it away and deal with it when your head is clear and you can find a creative and workable solution for it.

This kind of compartmentalization works very well in the short term, in the heat of the moment, and saves you a lot of embarrassment and fallouts of misjudged and impulsive decisions.

It takes self discipline. It takes a bit of practice. It takes determination. But you can do it. You can learn to be in this mindset once you consciously choose to be in it.

Awareness is half the practice already and the other half is being mentally prepared.

I don’t expect you to master this psychological tool of compartmentalization in a day but do give it a shot. Consciously resist yourself from reacting impulsively and lashing out on anyone or hurting yourself without any good reason to do so.

Please notice that I said it works in the SHORT TERM. There always is a psychological  side-effect of any held back, unexpressed and repressed emotion. Be aware of that and deal with your pains and problems properly and thoroughly once you have calmed down and can think clearly.

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