… looking around, they worried their nest
needed more stuff to make it the best.
And so when one of them stayed behind,
the other flew off to go and find
the extra things that they agreed
their chicks were really going to need.
from Too Much Stuff
written and illustrated by Emily Gravitt
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021
Sometimes it’s hard to let go of all those articles I told myself I needed to read. They languished in my email inbox until I put them in an email folder. Then they languished some more. They seemed so interesting, important, clever, necessary…at the time.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell the good stuff from the junk. How about the sweater I knew would go just right with the slacks I never wore because nothing looked just right with them. Both should have gone into the donation bag, but like my papers, they languish.
Glass jars to hold leftovers and freeze tomatoes? Yes, I use them, but I have a lot of extras.
Or all the stuffs that are clearly not family heirlooms, but decorate my house just like they did Mom’s.
Books fill my bookcases. Most of them I have read, many I have not, but intend to. Some just have beautiful covers or clever titles. They languish, too.
My dad was a philatelist. He collected stamps. They all went in albums designed for just that purpose. Some went into tiny glassine envelopes sorted by issuing country, denomination, and date. He also collected a couple of philately journals and newsletters, I suppose in case he needed to look something up. Mom called him the pilot, but really the pile-it. He piled it here and piled it there.
My brother is a little like that. I guess I am, too. We keep stuff. But we are not horders.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “[h]oarding disorder is an ongoing difficulty throwing away or parting with possessions because you believe that you need to save them.” Hoarded items may be potentially useful. They may stroke a sentimental nerve. Or they might be worth something.
Hoarding behavior becomes a problem when the crowded living space becomes dangerous. Narrow pathways can cause tripping hazards. Surfaces like tables, chairs, and even the kitchen range can become unusable because they are piled so high with stuff.
In a Psychology Today article, I learned that “the International OCD Foundation estimates that one in every 50 people struggles with severe hoarding—but also that the public is fascinated by it.” I intend to explore the one in 50, but I’ll have to save the fascination of the other 49 of us for another day.
People who hoard have entered a vicious circle. The same PT article says “[h]oarding both relieves anxiety and generates it.” How do those two opposites play out?
Keeping something feels good, like a security blanket. When a behavior feels good, we tend to repeat it to get the same good feeling. But at some point, the thought of making room for more stuff causes anxiety. When that happens, we might become overwhelmed. The feelings of security can lead to feelings of isolation, keeping friends and family away.
In general, people who hoard have difficulty making decisions, including what and how much to keep.
When someone doesn’t recognize that the amount of stuff they have collected, or kept, or set aside is interfering with their daily life or has become a safety issue, professional help might be necessary.
How do we know if we or someone we love is experiencing hoarding behavior?
Watch for these symptoms listed by The Mayo Clinic:
Speaking of pets, people who hoard pets (dozens or even hundreds of them) create an unsafe environment for themselves and their pets. They need professional help.
Of course, there’s a difference between someone who hoards and a pack rat. According to David Decker, an agent who handles apartments for rent in Wisconsin, a pack rat’s clutter is made up of stuff that they may have a use for… somewhere or at some time.” Their stuff is usually organized in some fashion. A person who hoards,, though, “may be hard-pressed to explain why they keep many of the things they keep.”
Collectors collect stuff. It’s organized, acquired according to particular specifications, and may have real financial worth. Dad was a collector and a “pile-it.”
I have more stuff than I need, or really even want. I read somewhere that a good way to declutter is to go through your items, one by one, and box up those that feel too precious to get rid of. Label the boxes and put them in a safe place in the basement or attic. They remain retrievable, but not visible. At some point, those boxes might become irrelevant and therefore unnecessary.
Maybe it’s time to get a few boxes and try again.
I’m reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2025). It’s the fifth book in the Hunger Games series. The main character, Haymitch Abernathy, is a young tribute, fighting for his life in the Arena, and takes place in the 50th year of the games. If you’re a fan of the series, this prequel will not disappoint.
Be curious! (and organized)
needed more stuff to make it the best.
And so when one of them stayed behind,
the other flew off to go and find
the extra things that they agreed
their chicks were really going to need.
from Too Much Stuff
written and illustrated by Emily Gravitt
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021
Sometimes it’s hard to let go of all those articles I told myself I needed to read. They languished in my email inbox until I put them in an email folder. Then they languished some more. They seemed so interesting, important, clever, necessary…at the time.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell the good stuff from the junk. How about the sweater I knew would go just right with the slacks I never wore because nothing looked just right with them. Both should have gone into the donation bag, but like my papers, they languish.
Glass jars to hold leftovers and freeze tomatoes? Yes, I use them, but I have a lot of extras.
Or all the stuffs that are clearly not family heirlooms, but decorate my house just like they did Mom’s.
Books fill my bookcases. Most of them I have read, many I have not, but intend to. Some just have beautiful covers or clever titles. They languish, too.
My dad was a philatelist. He collected stamps. They all went in albums designed for just that purpose. Some went into tiny glassine envelopes sorted by issuing country, denomination, and date. He also collected a couple of philately journals and newsletters, I suppose in case he needed to look something up. Mom called him the pilot, but really the pile-it. He piled it here and piled it there.
My brother is a little like that. I guess I am, too. We keep stuff. But we are not horders.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “[h]oarding disorder is an ongoing difficulty throwing away or parting with possessions because you believe that you need to save them.” Hoarded items may be potentially useful. They may stroke a sentimental nerve. Or they might be worth something.
Hoarding behavior becomes a problem when the crowded living space becomes dangerous. Narrow pathways can cause tripping hazards. Surfaces like tables, chairs, and even the kitchen range can become unusable because they are piled so high with stuff.
In a Psychology Today article, I learned that “the International OCD Foundation estimates that one in every 50 people struggles with severe hoarding—but also that the public is fascinated by it.” I intend to explore the one in 50, but I’ll have to save the fascination of the other 49 of us for another day.
People who hoard have entered a vicious circle. The same PT article says “[h]oarding both relieves anxiety and generates it.” How do those two opposites play out?
Keeping something feels good, like a security blanket. When a behavior feels good, we tend to repeat it to get the same good feeling. But at some point, the thought of making room for more stuff causes anxiety. When that happens, we might become overwhelmed. The feelings of security can lead to feelings of isolation, keeping friends and family away.
In general, people who hoard have difficulty making decisions, including what and how much to keep.
When someone doesn’t recognize that the amount of stuff they have collected, or kept, or set aside is interfering with their daily life or has become a safety issue, professional help might be necessary.
How do we know if we or someone we love is experiencing hoarding behavior?
Watch for these symptoms listed by The Mayo Clinic:
- getting and keeping more items than you need or have room for
- can result in disorganized and crowded clutter and possibly unsafe or unsanitary conditions
- feelings of distress when you’re asked to remove or even reduce clutter
- losing important items in the midst of clutter
- inability or unwillingness to organize items
Speaking of pets, people who hoard pets (dozens or even hundreds of them) create an unsafe environment for themselves and their pets. They need professional help.
Of course, there’s a difference between someone who hoards and a pack rat. According to David Decker, an agent who handles apartments for rent in Wisconsin, a pack rat’s clutter is made up of stuff that they may have a use for… somewhere or at some time.” Their stuff is usually organized in some fashion. A person who hoards,, though, “may be hard-pressed to explain why they keep many of the things they keep.”
Collectors collect stuff. It’s organized, acquired according to particular specifications, and may have real financial worth. Dad was a collector and a “pile-it.”
I have more stuff than I need, or really even want. I read somewhere that a good way to declutter is to go through your items, one by one, and box up those that feel too precious to get rid of. Label the boxes and put them in a safe place in the basement or attic. They remain retrievable, but not visible. At some point, those boxes might become irrelevant and therefore unnecessary.
Maybe it’s time to get a few boxes and try again.
I’m reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2025). It’s the fifth book in the Hunger Games series. The main character, Haymitch Abernathy, is a young tribute, fighting for his life in the Arena, and takes place in the 50th year of the games. If you’re a fan of the series, this prequel will not disappoint.
Be curious! (and organized)
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