What do you do when you have a negative experience?
Imagine the brain as a large ship. If a leak occurs in the floating vessel, the vessel immediately compartmentalizes the area of the leak to prevent the leak from sinking the entire ship. This is necessary because it may take some time before the ship returns to port to repair the damages.
This concept of compartmentalization can help when we encounter a negative situation, stimulation, or urge. When we have a negative experience—be it with a significant other, a child, a parent, a member of the family, or a fellow worker—COMPARTMENTALIZE IT. Set it aside. Isolate it. Deal with it later when you are in port and in a better place for reaction and repair. This requires some self-discipline. Picture a drawer in a room or somewhere else where you can temporarily put the thought. Creating a picture in your mind is a procedure that is necessary to redirect negativity.
By having a procedure to compartmentalize it and deal with it later, you are more likely to deal with it more successfully.
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