Work stress creeping into your evening relaxation time? Worries from home affecting your on-the-job productivity? It might be time to compartmentalise. In this post, we’ll be diving into the differences between healthy and unhealthy compartmentalisation, as well as exploring tips for maintaining healthy boundaries.
Compartmentalisation is a defence mechanism that helps us to avoid anxiety and stress. When we compartmentalise, we consciously or unconsciously separate our emotions and thoughts from what we’re doing at the time. This allows us to concentrate on the present experience without facing unwanted distractions or emotional overwhelm.
Many of us compartmentalise our work and personal lives in order to create boundaries between the personal and the professional. In the office, we might mentally remind ourselves to ‘switch on our work brains’ so that we can shut out outside distractions, stay calm, and complete work. We might also actively avoid triggers like WhatsApp messages or social media, especially if something stressful is happening at home.
Outside of work, we compartmentalise to create a healthy work-life balance. This allows us to relax, connect with loved ones, be present in our experiences, and keep ourselves well. Many people switch off their work emails or work phone in the evening – this is just one common example of compartmentalisation.
There are lots of well-documented benefits to compartmentalisation, especially when it comes to separating our home life from work. These include:
Boosted productivity and focus: Compartmentalising both at home and work can have a positive effect on our productivity and focus. This is because both work stress and outside sources of stress can feed into one another. For example, if you fail to compartmentalise while in the office, you may find yourself becoming less productive. As a result, you might spend your evening worrying about your lack of work that day, which can lead to a vicious cycle. When you compartmentalise, you keep things in mental boxes, which allows you to properly concentrate with a clear head.
Less stress: Compartmentalising naturally reduces stress because it stops us from becoming angry, upset, or fearful about negative thoughts or pressures that aren’t related to our here and now. Lower levels of stress aren’t just important for our mental health; they also prevent us from becoming physically ill due to stress hormones and lack of sleep. According to research, job stress is commonly associated with heart problems, musculoskeletal conditions, and stomach issues. While compartmentalisation isn’t a cure-all, it can mitigate these risks by reducing overall stress load.
Healthier outlook on life: If we learn to compartmentalise in a healthy way, it can have a positive impact on our overall attitude to life. When we start letting go of things or prioritising what’s really important in the moment, we learn that the consequences of doing so aren’t as scary as we’d imagined. Let’s say you’re watching a film at home and actively choose to ignore an important email at 8 pm. It might feel anxiety-inducing to you because ignoring an important email isn’t your norm. But when the next day rolls around and you reply when it’s convenient for you, you realise no bad has come from the situation, and feel better for it.
Making better choices: Finally, with a clearer mind and less stress, we can make much better decisions. Intense emotions and overwhelm can lead to rash decisions with negative consequences. If we feel calm and truly focused on what we’re deciding, it’s much easier to see the bigger picture and make positive choices that benefit ourselves and others.
Although, for the most part, compartmentalising can help us, extreme, unrestrained compartmentalisation can be detrimental. Here’s why:
Some things shouldn’t be boxed away: If you’re using compartmentalisation to avoid intense grief, trauma, or moral discomfort, it can backfire. You might miss signs that you need urgent support, delay important decisions, or disconnect from your emotions entirely. In these cases, compartmentalising doesn’t protect, it isolates.
You never address what’s bothering you: We all need to talk about our worries from time to time. Often, we just need to figure out the best time and place. If you avoid ever addressing what’s bothering you, all of your issues can start to build up inside. When this happens, it can lead to burnout or cause you to hit a wall and completely shut down.You might start overworking: If you’re someone who finds solace in blocking out personal stressors while at work, you might find you end up working more often to escape the reality you’re running from. Doing this too frequently not only causes more stress by making you more tired and prone to burnout, but it also has an impact on your loved ones. This is because you can become absent from them, and may even start resenting the time you spend with them.
Luckily, there are some simple ways that you can compartmentalise healthily and reap the benefits of becoming more present. Here are our top tips:
As we mentioned in the previous section, compartmentalisation isn’t about bottling things up and never talking about them – especially if something dangerous, deeply upsetting, or unethical is taking place. Healthy compartmentalisation involves making time to discuss issues when the moment is right. Whether it’s with a trusted colleague, a friend, or a professional, talking things through helps to keep you safe, prevent emotional build-up, and ensure your boundaries don’t become barriers. If something’s on your mind, plan a time to talk that’s convenient for you and your confidant. This will help you to feel more in control.
In many ways, compartmentalisation is a practice of mindfulness. It’s about being fully present in the moment and tuned into our task, surroundings, or whatever it is we’re focusing on. Although we may instinctively feel like batting away negative thoughts when they pop into our heads, mindfulness teaches us to simply observe them, recognising that they might not be useful, and letting them drift away. Doing this takes away the pressure of feeling we have to fight with our unwanted thoughts and can help us to get into a flow state.
The best way to benefit in the long term from compartmentalisation is by practising it enough that it becomes a habit. According to research, it can take us, on average, up to 66 days to form a new habit. Whether or not we are successful at cementing this habit is influenced by the frequency at which we perform the new behaviour, as well as our attitude and intention. The takeaway? It’s always best to enter the process with a positive mindset and to practise compartmentalising as often as possible.
In healthy cases, no. But it can be. While many people compartmentalise to manage everyday stress, it may also develop as a way to cope with trauma. In these cases, it’s often unconscious and used to avoid emotional pain or overwhelm.
Repression pushes emotions out of awareness entirely, often without us realising. Compartmentalisation, on the other hand, involves mentally setting emotions aside with the intention to focus on something else, ideally returning to them later.
Absolutely, but only when done healthily. Compartmentalising allows you to stay present and avoid being consumed by unrelated worries. This can reduce emotional overload and help you to manage stress more effectively day to day.
Of course! Healthy compartmentalisation isn’t about shutting off your emotions; it’s about choosing when to engage with them. By setting intentional boundaries and checking in with yourself regularly, you can stay emotionally connected while still protecting your focus and wellbeing.
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