The Practice of Containment: Creating Mental Space in an overhwhelming world
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects my personal experiences and general information about mental wellness concepts. It is not a substitute for professional mental health care or therapeutic advice tailored to your individual needs.
As someone with a neurodivergent brain, I'm intimately familiar with racing thoughts and the ability to see patterns everywhere—a gift and a challenge wrapped into one. My mind can connect dots across past experiences, current situations, and potential futures in rapid succession. While this pattern recognition serves me well professionally, it can also become overwhelming.
This is where containment has become an essential practice in my life.
Containment isn't about avoidance or pushing feelings away. It's about resourcing our time and energy intentionally. It's the practice of creating mental space to place things we need to address, but not necessarily right now. Think of it as honoring both the importance of what needs attention and the reality of our human limitations.
Containment in Practice
For some people, visualization works like imagining a box or container where concerns can safely rest until there's proper time to process them. When I used to teach my kids this concept, we created a physical "worry box." They could write down a worry and place it inside, knowing we'd set aside time to discuss it together. What often happened was remarkable: the emotional charge of the worry decreased simply by naming it and setting it aside. When we returned to it later, we were better resourced to handle it thoughtfully.
In my own life, I practice containment through routines and physical boundaries. At the end of my workday, I shut down my laptop and put it away in a specific place. This simple ritual helps me contain work from bleeding into home life. It's a signal to my brain: this part of the day is complete, and I can return to it tomorrow.
Why This Matters
Our brains aren't designed to hold everything at once. When we try, we end up scattered, reactive, and less effective at addressing any single thing. Containment allows us to be present where we are, knowing that what we've set aside hasn't disappeared—it's simply waiting for the right moment.
If you find yourself overwhelmed by racing thoughts or the weight of everything demanding your attention, consider experimenting with containment. It might be a physical box, a journal entry, a closing ritual, or simply a conscious acknowledgment: "I see this, and I'll come back to it."
You're not avoiding. You're resourcing yourself to show up fully, both now and later.
**Disclaimer:** This post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health care, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re struggling with negative core beliefs or other mental health concerns, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional.
