Intro

When was the last time you decluttered? Was it a satisfying process, or did it fill you with dread?

Where you sit on the clutter spectrum differs person to person, so today, we investigate if decluttering is worth the hype. 

Why can it be so hard for some people? Could there be a way to reduce clutter before it builds up?

And what's the relationship between hoarding disorder and clutter? 

If you want to hear more about our relationship with objects, check out Why do we love collecting?

Guests:

Professor Melissa NorbergPsychologistMacquarie University

Professor Jessica GrishamPsychologistUniversity of New South Wales

Dr Seung Hwan (Mark) LeeProfessor and Associate Dean of Engagement & InclusionTed Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University

Dr Omar FaresAssistant Professor in the Faculty of BusinessUniversity of New Brunswick

Credits:

• Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar
• Reporter/producer: Rose Kerr
• Senior producer: James Bullen
• Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite

You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

More information:

Understanding 'underconsumption core': How a new trend is challenging consumer culture

Breaking up with belongings: a pilot randomized controlled trial of an unguided web-based program to reduce overconsumption

Nudging society toward more adaptive approaches to material possessions: Harnessing implicit approaches to reduce overconsumption and excessive saving