5 ways to organize your brain using compartmentalization 

In psychology, compartmentalizing is a defense mechanism people use to avoid cognitive dissonance—the uncomfortable feeling of conflicting thoughts, emotions, or experiences. For example, if you just went through a bad breakup, you might listen to love songs and cry over a pint of Haagen Dazs at home. At work, however, you put on a brave face and carry on as usual. Compartmentalizing can help us navigate divergent dynamics and emotional charges in the various contexts of life. 

For entrepreneurs, compartmentalizing can be a useful strategy for managing the demands and stresses of leading a company. Take it from Susan Rice, former US National Security Advisor and UN Ambassador. Rice explained that compartmentalizing enabled her to work on some of the world’s most pressing crises without becoming debilitated. “It didn’t cripple my ability to focus and do the job functionally,” said in a speech. 

My daily stressors as a CEO pale in comparison to Rice’s. Still, leading a team does come with pressure and anxiety. Compartmentalizing has helped me to lead our team for nearly two decades without burning out. Here are five strategies for drawing mental boundaries at work. 

Identify and prioritize your most important tasks 

The first step to compartmentalize your work life is to identify your most important tasks. Rather than chase the dopamine hit of ticking off another inconsequential item on your to-do list, spell out your biggest priority each day. Write your most important task of the day on a sticky note (or digital sticky note). Post it where you’ll see it while you work, and let it be a constant reminder to block out the endless distractions clamoring for your attention throughout the day.  

Adam Bryant recommends workers keep a strategy document which maps out why a given task is important. Start by answering the following questions:

• What is the goal, the core message, in one line?
• What are the three key actions that are needed to achieve that goal?
• What are the three key challenges you will have to overcome to achieve that goal?
• And how do you measure success in twelve months (or whatever time period you choose)?

As you compartmentalize your workday, keep your priority and strategy in the forefront of your mind.

Batch your work

In a world where everyone seems busy all the time, you have to wonder what makes some people achieve exceptional levels of productivity. Wharton management professor and author Adam Grant is a prime example of extraordinary productivity. Grant shared his method with fellow author Cal Newport, who described it in his book Deep Work. Grant batches his work on multiple levels. He organizes his schedule on a macro level, stacking his teaching in the fall and research in the spring and summer. On a micro level, he batches his weekly and daily work by alternating between open-door time and periods when he dedicates himself to focused deep work. 

I follow a similar approach, batching my daily tasks into what I consider “busywork”—manual tasks that aren’t particularly inspiring or meaningful, but keep the wheels of business turning. These are tasks such as invoicing, data crunching, document review, transcribing, inbox management—any tasks that are repetitive, recurring, and involve little-to-no personal input. I batch these items together and try to automate as many as possible. Team meetings fall into another compartment. And finally, there’s my most meaningful work. 

Fiercely protect your time for uninterrupted, deep-focus work 

“Though Grant’s productivity depends on many factors, there’s one idea in particular that seems central to his method: the batching of hard but important intellectual work into long, uninterrupted stretches,” writes Newport. This approach underlines the importance of not just organizing tasks by type but also ensuring you dedicate uninterrupted time blocks to tackle your most important work. 

Block out time for meaningful, high-impact tasks on your calendar and fiercely defend those periods against distractions and interruptions. Grant takes this idea to new levels by setting up an “out of office” auto-reply—even when he’s physically in the office. This strategy signals to colleagues that he’s engaged in focused work and shouldn’t be disturbed. 

In the same vein, I use an automated calendar system that allows employees to check my availability in real-time. They can see when I’m free or engaged in focused work, and can plan meetings and face-time accordingly. This helps me to maintain focus when I need it and more generally, establishes a workplace where people respect each other’s need for uninterrupted focus time. 

Map out your workflows

It is also essential to map out exactly what each task entails. Most tasks are, in fact, workflows—series of interconnected steps that lead to a specific result. Some workflows are linear. Consider brushing your teeth. You grab your toothbrush, apply toothpaste, add water, brush, rinse, and repeat. But oftentimes, tasks involve various dependencies, like input from colleagues or changing outcomes that can redirect the course of your workflow. 

Often, we fail to fully understand our workflows and how much time each task requires. When the elements of a task are scattered throughout the day, compartmentalizing becomes challenging. Carving out time for uninterrupted work becomes impossible.

By mapping out all of the steps in advance, you can more effectively plan your schedule. Mastering your workflows can help you more accurately organize your time and identify any flaws in the process, helping you reclaim wasted time. 

Schedule stress and worry time 

You can’t just tell an anxious entrepreneur not to stress.

Stress can be inherent to running a business. Sometimes it’s a positive force, fueling us with momentum that leads to innovation. Other times, it can be consuming and distract us from necessary, critical work. 

When the stresses of work, or even life outside of work, become overwhelming, I practice the same technique I use for almost everything else in my life: I add it to my calendar. Setting aside worry time is an effective way to give yourself time to feel whatever you’re going through—without letting it consume you. You can also use that half-hour or so to identify the true source of your anxiety and come up with some proactive steps to manage it. This can prevent the human tendency to dwell and ruminate. Instead, we package up that rumination period in a neat time box and prevent it from destroying our focus throughout the day.  

By scheduling dedicated worry time, you can maintain control of your focus and energy, even in the face of inevitable stress.