7 deadly sins that lead to hoarding
<p>If you’ve watched <em>Enough Already!</em> on <em>Oprah</em> with equal parts sympathy and fear, thinking to yourself “That better not be me one day”, then you’ll want to read on. Non-hoarders tend to picture hoarders as people who have rooms brimming with old newspapers piled to the roof and hallway cupboards that they can not open for fear of the contents swallowing them up. The word hoarder just sounds dirty. While researchers are still trying to understand the disorder, here are some clues that could signal you need to enlist some help. </p>
<p><strong>Every room has a “storage area”</strong> – If your dedicated storage area is so full that you need to keep the extra microwave in the living room, you may have a problem. When your storage overflows into the rest of the home and continues to grow – check yourself.
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<p><strong>Keeping old magazines and newspapers</strong> – Do you hold on magazines and newspapers thinking, “I might like to reread that one day…” Stop it! Just get rid of them. Apart from coffee table-worthy magazines, everything should be thrown out. Besides a lot of stuff is now online.
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<p><strong>Storing clothes you don’t wear</strong> – While it’s ok to hold onto your favourite band T-shirt from your younger years, holding onto old clothes – especially those that don’t fit or have holes in them – it just plain silly. Donate all items that fall into this category to charity immediately!</p>
<p><strong>Stowing away broken electronics and appliances</strong> – Don’t kid yourself, you’re never go to get around to fixing that printer or TV! Recycle or donate used electronic items that you no longer use.</p>
<p><strong>Storing free loot (aka junk)</strong> – Yes, yes we’ve all fallen victim to being giddy with excitement over a free key ring or pen we pocketed at a show or the RTA. But just because you got a free mug doesn’t mean it should be stashed in your drawer or kitchen never to see the light of day again. Chuck it!</p>
<p><strong>Your car becomes “extra” storage</strong> – If you keep more than just spare tire and pair of shoes in your car boot, then you are hoarder territory. If you need to keep DVDs and camping gear in the car because they wont fit in the house, it’s time for drop-off to the Salvos. </p>
<p><strong>Daily life becomes musical chairs</strong> – If there is no where to sit and eat dinner because every chair is piled high with papers and you can’t sleep comfortably because the bed is covered in clothes, seek help immediately!</p>
<p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>
