5 Reasons Why People Hoard

5 Reasons Why People Hoard

By Kiera Rain, Bay Area Professional Organizer

People hoard to fill emotional voids. It's not about the stuff--it's about what's going on with them on a personal level. Here are the 5 reasons why people hoard:

1) Loneliness.  Hoarders surround themselves with things to fill the empty space around them so they don't feel as isolated. Stand in an empty, quiet room and then stand in a room full of furniture with a chiming clock, interesting knick knacks, pictures and books, and you'll FEEL the difference of the space. Unfortunately, instead of making the home warm, inviting and cozy, the home becomes so crowded it becomes a non-functioning space. People can't sit on the couches, people aren't invited over because of the embarrassment of the mess, friends and family threaten to stop coming over until the hoarder cleans up their space, etc. I help clients take back their space while making it warm and inviting again. 

2) Impoverished.  For those who grew up in the Depression Days, poverty, had "penny pinching parents," etc, buying things can be very powerful therapy. Until the retail shopping causes more damage than good. These type of hoarders love to bargain shop, buy in bulk, and always have multiples of everything.

3) Grief/Loss.  This is probably the biggest reason why people hoard. Has the hoarder lost someone very close to them--a parent, partner, child, even a family pet? Doesn't have to be death--divorce, job loss, retirement and more are all reasons to grieve. Grief is a very serious transition that we must all go through, and some people resort to trying to cope via hoarding. They try to fill the void in their lives, fill the empty space around them, shop for retail therapy to lift their spirits, and hold on to everything they have of the deceased loved one.

4) Memory.  Many hoarders feel they need to keep things so they don't forget about someone or a special event. They feel they will forget the person or occurrence if they don't have the item to remind them. I give suggestions like taking pictures of the items to keep in the "Memory Box/Treasure Trunk" and donating the items to a good home where they will be used, loved and appreciated.I also suggest hugging that favorite old t-shirt goodbye before donating it to a good home to ease the transition process, and I also recommend calling the person you've been missing and have a long catch-up conversation. If they've passed on, write the deceased a letter or talk to them in your own special way.

5) Rescue Mentality, Commonly from Abuse/Neglect.  People will also hoard when they've been abused/neglected. Because they were rejected and tossed aside and not taken care of, they rescue items in an effort to rescue themselves. They don't want to see things go in the landfill, never to be used or cherished. They "might need it one day," so they hold onto it. I help clients see that instead of that cup sitting in a corner collecting dust for 6 years, they can donate the cup and give it a good home. The cup is not serving its purpose if it's not being used/cherished/valued, so give it a chance to be useful.


Kiera Rain
Bay Area Professional Organizer
www.BayAreaProfessionalOrganizer.com

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Use the Snowball Method to Get Organized!

"Sometimes our stop-doing list needs to be bigger than our to-do list."  -Patti Digh, Four-Word Self-Help: Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives   What can you Delete or Delegate off your To-Do List??

Dave Ramsey's Snowball Method Works on Clutter, To-Do Lists, & Getting Your Finances Organized! If you haven't heard of the Snowball Method yet, I'm glad to be the one to let you in on the Gigantically Successful Lil Secret! OK, so we're outside. And it's Snowing. Yes, in June, it's Snowing. Let's pick up a handful of snow, pack it down in our hands, make a ball. Let's keep adding to it with more snow, making it bigger and bigger. Soon, it's so big, we can roll it down a hill. Watch it go! It's getting bigger and faster, building bulk and momentum! THIS is the Snowball Method. Using the Snowball Method, let's tackle your To-Do list, as Example #1. First, scratch off the smallest, easiest, quickest items on your list. Schedule Dentist Appointment, for example. There--Done. Took you 2 minutes. Out of the way. On to the next quickest and smallest task, and so on. This creates momentum, allowing you to cross things off and feel accomplished, instead of drained! Example #2, Tackling Your Clutter. You enter your bedroom. There are piles of clutter everywhere--clothes, kids' toys, papers, books, dishes, etc. FIRST thing you do, is make the bed. Yep. Fastest, simplest, easiest task. Then put the dirty clothes in hamper. Take dirty dishes to sink. Kids' toys to their toy chest. Before you know it, your room is picked up and looking a TON better. When you enter a room to defeat the clutter, start with the smallest pile or box, and then go for the next biggest, and so forth. You'll see a dent created in no time! Example #3, Financial Organizing! Dave Ramsey started the Snowball Method to specifically help his clients with their debt management. Let's say you have 3 credit cards. 1 with $1,000 debt, 2nd with $2,000 debt, 3rd with $5,000 debt. To improve your finances and gain control over your debt, you pay off the smallest debt FIRST, while paying the minimums on all the other cards. (I recommend auto-pay for bills, by the way.) **Another tip I would like to share is that your Credit Score will increase if you simply have less than 50% of your Credit Limit used. For example, if you have $1000 credit limit, your debt on that card should be less than $500 to improve your credit rating. So even if you don't aim for paying off all of your cards, at least pay half of all limits. Example #4, REVERSE the Snowball Method! Sometimes, the best way to tackle your clutter/debt/to-do list, is to start with the #1 thing giving you the MOST Stress. Start with the project that's giving you a headache or has the soonest deadline--this allows you to knock it out of the way so you aren't losing sleep at night anymore. Start with your highest interest rate credit card first, pay minimums on your lower interest rate cards till that one is paid off. Stop Procrastinating! Go use the Snowball Method! :-) Cheers to De-Cluttering to De-Stress! Kiera Rain, Owner Bay Area Professional Organizer http://www.BayAreaProfessionalOrganizer.com  See More Before and After Pictures! In This Issue What is the Snowball Method? Meet the Team! Organizing Tips Blog!

Who Are We? Howdy, Ya'll! We are Bay Area Professional Organizer Company (BAPO for short)! We Organize Homes, Offices and Businesses throughout the Entire Bay Area. No Travel Fees! And we provide Free Donation and Recycling Haul-Away Services After Every Session! Our niche is focusing on the mental/emotional aspects of disorganization: Hoarding, OCD, ADD, Anxiety, Depression and Grief. We also work with those in Life Transition (divorce, moving, marriage, new baby, stepfamily), and the Simply Busy Person! Meet Our Team Members: Owner and Professional Organizer, Kiera Rain, who grew up with Hoarders on both sides of her family. Welcome, New Employee/Professional Organizer Kay Williams (with over 15 years experience!), who has been featured TWICE on TLC's Hoarding: Buried Alive!  Other Teammates include Junk Hauler Ivan, Owner of 1888-98-"JUNK-IT", Debbie DeSousa who does "clutter selling" for clients, and Tech Guru Brian Jacobson who helps with electronic recycling/info wiping and transferring/cord control and your tech needs. Bay Area Professional Organizer Company comes with a vast referral Rolodex for clients' needs: whether carpet cleaning, installing new flooring, handyman service, movers, etc. We're here to help steer you in the right direction with local professional services you can trust! Just ask us for a referral you need. Meet the Team HERE NEW Blog! From the Desk of an Organizer Get Motivational Support for De-Cluttering to De-Stress by Bay Area Professional Organizer Company! See ALL past E-Newsletters! Check out Blurbs, Jokes, FAQ from Readers, Before and After Pics and More! http://bayareaprofessionalorganizer.blogspot.com/