I speak to Tracy McCubbin, an expert in decluttering, organising, and overcoming the emotional attachment to our belongings. With years of hands-on experience and a deep understanding of clutter, Tracy helps people reclaim their spaces. Tracy shares invaluable insights into the psychology behind stuff and the challenges that arise when inherited items become emotional burdens. She challenges the notion that objects hold inherent meaning and encourages listeners to question the attachment they have to their possessions. Tracy also provides practical advice on how to approach decluttering and organising. She dispels the myth of overnight transformations often portrayed on social media, reminding us that real progress takes time and effort. She shares anecdotes, including the story of the infamous painting of dogs playing poker and its unexpected journey to a new home. Join us as we explore clutter blocks through six items of mine, For the transcript for this episode, visit http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk Subscribe to the podcast Introduction to the clutter blocks and their origin Birthed from hands-on work with people and their experiences with hoarding disorder The struggle of inheriting items from deceased family members Difficulty in letting go of things due to sentimental attachment or financial value Objects hold no inherent meaning, we assign meaning to them Example of the speaker's wedding dress and societal pressure to hold onto sentimental items The changing importance of objects over time Acquisition of things becoming easier, questioning the need to hold onto them Tackling decluttering and organizing separately Not expecting immediate results Unrealistic expectations created by social media Working at your own pace Time and energy limitations due to work and family The initial chaos before improvement during the decluttering process Hiring professionals for cleaning services if deep cleaning is not enjoyable Selling or giving away unwanted items to avoid clutter Celebrating progress by hiring a cleaning company and taking a break Resisting pressure to do things one doesn't enjoy Letting go of items and finding them in the hands of those who need them Separating decluttering, organizing, and cleaning as separate tasks Avoiding overwhelm and making the process more manageable Replacing reminders of painful memories with positive ones Not feeling obligated to keep crafts made by others A client with a collection of birdhouses made by their father Reflecting on the concept of regret and the things that are never thought about again Choosing cash over a sale purse Declutter, organize, and clean separately for success Decluttering takes time and patience, but it's worth it Feeling obliged to keep handmade crafts made by others The meaning we attach to objects Beautiful gift that's not my style Dogs playing poker painting given new home Father hoards baby strollers, never gives them away Disaster relief donations often miss the mark Hiring help for tasks you dislike We make mistakes, let's learn and move on Decluttering takes time and effort; it may get worse before it gets better Psychological attachment to objects and challenges the belief that everything must be kept Focus on good memories Putting a time limit on completing tasks Donate money, not random items It is okay to not enjoy certain tasks and celebrate hiring help We all make mistakes, but holding on to them is unnecessary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.