Compartmentalization is a self-preserving way of life for health care workers. The ability to walk from situation to situation without breaking down is vital to basic survival within the health care field. While often thought of as a healthy coping mechanism, compartmentalization requires us to borrow from our future selves in order to survive the past and present. This article introduces the concept of “Borrowed Energy” through a comparison with the beauty- and self-stealing themes seen in a recent award winning film and addresses how we must prioritize regenerating our energy in order to minimize the damage to ourselves.
