#147 Habituation, "clutter blindness", and hoarding with Dr Jan Eppingstall of Stuffology

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Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ 

With Dr Jan Eppingstall, today I delve into the fascinating world of habituation – which you might be familiar with as clutter blindness, but it’s so much more than that! – and its impact on our daily lives. We look at the role of habituation in hoarding, and offer practical techniques to revitalise our perspectives. Join us as we unravel the complexity of habituation and its relationship to hoarding, with valuable insights into improving our quality of life.

• Habituation and its Impact
• Definition of habituation
• Evolutionary and innate nature of habituation
• Habituation as a form of non-associative learning
• Role of habituation in daily life
• Individual experiences with habituation
• Positive, neutral, and negative aspects of habituation
• Habituation in hoarding behaviour
• Habituation and autistic people
• Effects of habituation on daily tasks and decision-making
• Habituation in relation to clutter blindness and hoarding
• Overcoming Habituation
• Techniques for combatting habituation
• Changing daily routines and habits
• Using different modes of transport
• Performing everyday tasks in different ways
• Looking at space through a different perspective
• The need for a variety of approaches to combat habituation
• Techniques to break habitual patterns
• The importance of stepping out of your comfort zone
• The importance of mixing up approaches and embracing what works
• Habituation in Mental Health and Therapy
• Deliberate use of habituation in mental health treatment
• Exposure therapy and fear ladder approach in treating fears and phobias
• Gradual exposure therapy for specific fears
• Maintenance of progress in overcoming fears and phobias
• Implications of habituation for individuals with autism spectrum disorders in relation to hoarding
• Insight into habituation and its impact on hoarding behaviour
• Techniques and advice for combating habituation
• Examples of habituation in daily life
• Experience of habituation in hoarding behaviour and clutter blindness
• The impact of habituation on decision-making and compensating for clutter
• Connection between habituation, working memory, and people-pleasing behaviour
• Understanding the impact of habituation on decision-making and perceptions
• Strategies for breaking habitual patterns and experiencing joy
• Mindfulness and gratitude in daily life
• Rekindling appreciation for familiar places and seeing them through fresh eyes
• Encouragement to find joy in life and invest in experiences over material possessions
• Non-associative learning: Becoming accustomed to stimuli.
• Habituation serves necessary and neutral purposes.
• Skipping stages and creating fear ladder for hoarding.
• Clutter organization leads to joy, not regret.
• Habituation in hoarding leads to inaction.
• Removing obstacles can make daily tasks easier.
• Visual cues and externalising tasks aid memory.
• Self-sufficiency
• Observing and changing habits leads to improvement.
• Experiences linger longer than material possessions.
• Habituation is normal and can be positive.
• Habituation is the process of becoming less responsive to repeated stimuli.
• Habituation serves purposes: prevent overwhelm, allow focus, survival. Good, neutral, negative aspects.
• Overstimulation and stimming behaviors.
• Reliance on visuals becomes less effective.
• Visual reminders and working memory limitations prompt use of external systems to record and remember tasks.
• Some people have a mindset of overcoming odds and finding resourceful solutions.
• Changing habits and mindset is key for improvement.
• Observing and reflecting on how things are done can lead to finding better, more efficient ways.
• The key is to have a mix of approaches for habit change.
• Variety is essential and embrace what works, even if just for a bit.
• The mind values experiences over possessions for lasting impact.
• Habituation is normal, can be positive, neutral, or negative, and can be used to reduce distress.