381. Why You Shut Off Your Feelings (And Why It's Catching Up With You)

381. Why You Shut Off Your Feelings (And Why It's Catching Up With You)

From Relationships Made Easy by Dr. Abby Medcalf

May 4, 2026 · 34 min · Season 8 · Episode 381

About this episode

This episode discusses the concept of compartmentalization in emotions and its impact on relationships, along with strategies to address it.

You're doing fine. Really. You've got work handled, the relationship seems okay, you've moved on from that fight or that disappointment, and you're not thinking about it anymore. Except, you kind of are. You just don't know it yet. That's what compartmentalization does: it doesn't actually clear your feelings away. It boxes them up and slides them onto a shelf so you can keep functioning. And that shelf? It fills up. Stay with me, because today we're going to talk about what compartmentalization actually is, why your brain learned to do it, what it costs you in relationships, and what you can do to start clearing those shelves before they collapse. _________ Full blog and show notes: https://abbymedcalf.com/compartmentalization-in-relationships Download the Self-Assessment, Am I Compartmentalizing? https://abbymedcalf.com/compartmentalizing-assessment Join my online community, One Love Collective, on Substack: https://abbymedcalf.com/substack . You'll get... ✨ Early drops + ad-free podcast episodes ✨ Worksheets, journal prompts, downloads, and guided visualizations ✨ Community chats and live Q&A calls with Abby _________ Subscribe to the Love Letter and get my little messages…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Abby Medcalf

Topics covered

  • compartmentalization
  • emotional health
  • relationships
  • self-awareness
  • mental health

Keywords

  • feelings
  • compartmentalization
  • relationships
  • emotional awareness
  • self-assessment

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