#159 Just because we want it doesn’t mean we have to have it

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On this episode, I share my experience from being a guest on Death, Sex & Money with Anna Sale. Then I dig into the idea of wanting things but still choosing not to have them and how it applies to various aspects of life, especially for those of us dealing with hoarding disorder. I’ll discuss how the disorder can distort our perception of items, leading to irrational attachments. I look at how desires often change over time, the unhealthy attachments formed for identity, comfort, or security, and how fear of regret can hinder the decluttering process.

• Choosing Not to Have Desired Items
• Distortion of item perception in hoarding disorder
• Temporary nature of desires
• Safety and clutter concerns
• Emotional and Irrational Attachments
• Understanding and challenging emotional attachments
• Exploring reasons for keeping or acquiring items
• Addressing “irrational” beliefs
• Dealing with fear of regret
• Joy from finding things often surpasses regret (Jasmine Sleigh's insight)
• Managing regret is possible
• Decision-making with clutter in mind
• Not Retaining Items for Others
• It's not our responsibility to keep items for others
• Prioritising personal and familial well-being
• Setting boundaries regarding others' potential desires
• Feeling loss, fear, sadness, and nostalgia
• Acknowledgment and validation of these feelings
• Communicating fears and emotions
• Recognising and challenging irrational thoughts and feelings
• Celebrating small victories without adding more clutter
• Liberation and freedom from letting go
• Misinterpreting laziness as anxiety
• Anxious sloth and decreased productivity