Pixar’s Inside Out, IRL

(read time: 2.5 min)

Remember the character Joy, from the animated Pixar film, Inside Out? She was the happy emotion, played by Amy Poehler, in the brain of the main character, Riley. If you haven’t seen it, let me explain.

Joy is JOY. She exudes the most wonderfully annoying positivity that you could imagine. So much so that she is constantly trying to keep the emotion Sadness, played by Phyllis Smith of The Office fame, from ever impacting Riley’s life. Sound familiar?

YOUR BOOST

The next time a painful memory is triggered, and you start to feel that tightening in your chest, note it. When you hve the space to unpack it, ideally with a trained professiona, do so. Memories that are painful will stay painful until you address them. Repression is not a long-term solution.

THE SCIENCE

The movie's fictional characters very much are playing out what neuroscientists now know to be true in the brain. We do our best to suppress unwanted, painful feelings and memories.

Humans evolved the ability to repress. There is a repression control process in the right side of the very front of your brain that takes note of the memory, recognizes it’s painful and send a message to your hippocampus (aids in long term memory) that basically says STOP, do not get that memory out of the drawer, leave it and let’s move on.

When it comes to survival, sure it makes sense that we adapted to repress things so we could focus our energy on finding food and protecting our children. But psychologists now recognize repression as a defense mechanism. “Defense mechanisms are unconscious strategies whereby people protect themselves from anxious thoughts or feelings.” And if you want to truly do the inner work to live a more fulfilling and peaceful life, those memories have to be taken out, examined, recontextualized for healing, and then stored as memories that no longer evoke so much pain that they cause repression in the first place.

TAKE HOME

When painful memories invade your thoughts, it’s natural that your brain wants to protect you. And while this served your ancient ancestors, it’s no longer a good strategy if you seek mental wellness in your life. It’s no easy task, but as my friend and artist, Sarah Palmeri says, “You have to let it all fall apart before you can put it back together.”

No shame, no guilt, just more good days,

Nicole