Having emotions is a normal and healthy part of being a human being – even in the workplace. However, there comes a time when knowing how to compartmentalize your emotions at work is necessary to manage stress.
What does it mean to compartmentalize emotions?
You may be wondering what compartmentalizing emotions means. No, it’s not about suppressing your feelings and never addressing them. It’s not about not caring either. You can think of the act of compartmentalizing your emotions like a skill that allows you to put some feelings aside momentarily to address other needs and situations.
“Compartmentalizing emotions refers to the act of separating different feelings and thoughts into distinct ‘compartments’ in our minds, rather than allowing them to overlap or influence one another,” according to licensed professional counselor Joan Hampton.
Let’s say that you’re working on delivering a project and there is a last-minute emergency that threatens its successful completion. When you’re able to keep your feelings about the situation (i.e., worry, overwhelm, dread) under control, you can address the problem in a more grounded way and focus on solutions. When you get home, you can then process your emotions – maybe by talking to your partner about your day and venting out your frustrations in a safe space.
Compartmentalization is also relevant when your personal challenges bleed into your workday. You’re not expected to be a robot at work, but if your recent breakup is causing you to severely underperform, compartmentalizing can be a helpful tool during office hours. As Hampton puts it, it can help you “stay focused and maintain your emotional balance, even in the face of challenges or demands.”
“This is a vital skill to learn in order to maintain a healthy relationship with work. We need to compartmentalize so we don’t get overwhelmed with our personal needs while trying to do our job,” adds Anna Hindell, a licensed clinical social worker and Iyengar yoga teacher.
Benefits of compartmentalizing emotions at work
Learning how to compartmentalize your emotions at work comes with a few benefits. The first one is maintaining a healthy sense of boundaries.
“By separating our personal emotions from our professional responsibilities, we can better maintain clear boundaries between our work and personal lives,” says Hampton. “This can help us avoid bringing negative emotions from one domain into the other, which can lead to additional stress and conflict.”
Compartmentalizing emotions in the workplace also translates into better focus. “When we compartmentalize our emotions, we can better focus on the task at hand and avoid getting sidetracked by our feelings. This can be particularly helpful in high-stress situations when it’s important to stay focused and perform at our best,” adds Hampton.
Additionally, she says that you’ll reduce emotional overwhelm and gain greater clarity of mind by learning how to compartmentalize: “When we allow our emotions to overlap and influence one another, it can be easy to become overwhelmed and lose perspective.”
At the end of the day, compartmentalization means that you’re able to manage and regulate your feelings – it’s a form of emotional intelligence.
Tips to compartmentalize emotions and manage work stress
If you want to make the most of compartmentalization to manage your work stress, awareness is a crucial first step.
“You have to be aware of what you are feeling and how it affects you. With awareness, you can tell yourself you are going to put aside your feelings and revisit them later,” says Hindell. It makes sense: You can’t decide to process your emotions later if you get instantly swept up by them before pausing and reflecting on how you want to move forward.
Sounds easier said than done? Try the following visualization exercise. “Think of placing your emotions in a jar and checking the jar at work. You can visit the jar during breaks and at the end of the day, but during the work day, the content of the emotions stays in your jar,” recommends Hindell. It’s a simple habit and nobody will know you’re doing it, but it can work wonders to cope with the sometimes unpredictable highs and lows that come with day-to-day career challenges.
If you’re into journaling, writing down your intentions to compartmentalize your emotions in a daily journal can also help you adopt the practice while at work. Turn it into a goal and map out your plan to follow through when things get stressful.
It’s important to note that compartmentalizing emotions is not meant to be a long-term solution for managing stress. It’s a tool that can help you be more on top of your stressful emotions when they do happen, but you still need to cope with them. “It can be helpful in the short-term, but it’s important to address the root causes of stress and to develop healthy coping strategies to manage stress in the long-term,” according to Hampton.
Aim to become mindful of what you feel throughout the work day and how it impacts you. Develop strategies to deal with your stressors while staying engaged in the present moment, whether you’re at work or at home. Don’t bypass your negative emotions, but do avoid living in a reactive way. You’ll be well on your way to mastering the art of compartmentalization and reducing stress in the process.
