Explain It to Me Your clutter is holding you back
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Mar 8, 2026 
Mary Dozier, a clinical psychologist who treats hoarding and clutter issues, and Emily Stewart, a reporter on consumer culture, dig into why we keep things. They explore historical shopping trends, the brain’s resistance to discarding, sentimental attachments, practical decluttering tactics, and when keeping items is helpful or harmful.
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Couple Uses Small Space To Force Compromise
- Emily Stewart and a couple living in a 600 sq ft NYC apartment use compromise to manage opposing clutter habits.
- Haley Brocek cycles purge kicks while Pernoy Roy holds items for future use, showing space pressure forces decisions.
How Mass Production And Media Drove Our Stuff
- Mass production and advertising since the 1920s made accumulating possessions normal, accelerating in the 1950s with household goods and Sears catalogs.
- Emily Stewart links social comparison to consumption, noting media (TV, internet) magnifies trends from neighbors to celebrities.
Brain Biology Makes Decluttering Mentally Costly
- Neuroscience shows decision-making about possessions activates ancient, dopamine-linked brain regions that treat uncertainty as effortful.
- Randall O'Reilly explains that facing many keep/discard choices tires the brain, so it prefers postponement or easier rewards.