Times like these call for more than a self-help checklist.

While brainstorming on the structure of this piece, I came across many articles on compartmentalization. Psychologists define this as a defense mechanism, or a short-term coping strategy, wherein one learns to focus on a single thing at a time to avoid internal emotional conflicts. So that’s it – I found my first “how to cope when overwhelmed by current events” – breathe and compartmentalize. But as I read further, I realized this piece is not going to be so simple.

We often associate success with prioritizing goals and avoiding distractions. The world’s biggest entrepreneurs and businessmen share stories on how they “sectioned their lives” and “set clear boundaries.” But with the constant bombardment of updates from all over the world through The New York Times app, Instagram, and WhatsApp group chats, I fear it’s not so easy to shut everything out. We could all turn off our phones and pretend like nothing is going on. However, I think the bigger question is whether we should pretend at all…

Maybe we are struggling because we are trying so hard to compartmentalize. A friend lost her summer internship that was funded by the NIH, but there’s a Calculus midterm tomorrow. Four international students had their visas terminated in one night, but we had to walk around like nothing happened the next morning.

Don’t worry. Everything is fine.

In these moments I forget that compartmentalization itself is a privilege. If we have privileges, it’s within our rights to use them and acknowledge them. But they are not our way out.

My first and only “how to” is a simple request to take the first step. If you read something and feel overwhelmed, share it with someone else. There’s a very high chance that they’re feeling it too. Reach out to your international friends – there is no need to avoid a conversation and pretend like nothing is happening. Our ignorance doesn’t omit the existence of current events. But through every conversation, we can hold others in our thoughts, and lessen the burden of trying to compartmentalize while climbing the ladder of success.  

Header image via Bwarchives

Breathing via Unsplash