Compartmentalization

noun
the division of something into sections or categories.
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Compartmentalization is a form of psychological defense mechanism in which thoughts and feelings that seem to conflict are kept separated or isolated from each other in the mind. Those with post traumatic stress disorder may use compartmentalization to separate positive and negative self aspects. Wikipedia
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What does it mean when someone compartmentalize?
1. With compartmentalization, the person separates feelings or thoughts that contradict each other into different “compartments” in order to avoid the cognitive dissonance that arises when a thought or feeling we have starts to contradict a different thought or feeling that we are also aware of.Aug 18, 2022

What Does It Mean to Compartmentalize? - Choosing Therapy
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Is it healthy to compartmentalize?
Compartmentalization Can Be Healthy

If used in moderation and combined with self-reflection and healthy emotional processing, compartmentalizing emotions can be a healthy way to manage stress levels.May 24, 2023

How to Compartmentalize to Reduce Stress - Verywell Mind
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What is an example of compartmentalization?
For example, a firefighter may have a family that depends on them at home, but they must rush into life-threatening situations without hesitation to do their job. Being able to compartmentalize those two realities allows them to perform under intense pressure.Mar 19, 2019

Are You Disconnecting or Compartmentalizing?
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Is it good to compartmentalize your thoughts?
It's a form of emotional intelligence, according to Jeremy Yip, a lecturer and research scholar at Wharton. Compartmentalizing enables a person to identify what is stressing them out and to allow other, unrelated factors in their life to stand on their own merits, Yip says.Jan 14, 2014

Why Being Able to Compartmentalize Is a Key Ingredient for Risk-taking
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AimTrue, TWITTER:
Trauma survivors often become very good at compartmentalizing things.
They can tuck things away and appear unfazed by something that would have others in an uproar. They may appear cool, calm & collected in chaos.
The ability to compartmentalize helped many of us to survive.
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Is compartmentalizing a part of ADHD?
By the time they grow to adulthood, people with ADHD have often developed a great ability to compartmentalize emotions.

ADHD, Marriage, and The New York Times, Part 2: Alvin? Alvin
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How Else Do People Cope With Cognitive Dissonance?
Compartmentalization is just one of many ways people cope with cognitive dissonance. People can lean on negative coping mechanisms, like displacement or rationalization, or find healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with cognitive dissonance, such as addressing the root of your dissonance as it occurs. For example, if I believe in environmentalism, but find out the company I work for has poor environmental policies, I could approach the management and make suggestions to change some of those policies to be more pro-environment, or quit my job in favor of one that aligns with my beliefs.

Other adaptive behaviors to cope with cognitive dissonance include:

Adjusting behavior or expectations to reduce the dissonance
Radical acceptance
Assertiveness
Cognitive reframing
Non-adaptive ways to cope with cognitive dissonance include:

Projection
Denial
Suppression
Displacement