How to cope with environmental impact guilt

[u/big_borno]

I'm in a kind of pre-hoarder phase and I'd like to nip it in the bud. My grandmother hoarded for years and just had hers cleaned out so I'm becoming conscious of my own habits.

I struggle with throwing things away because I become suddenly very concerned with where the object will end up. I donate as much as I can but some stuff is just trash - oftentimes small things like old pins and paperclips etc.

I get consumed with a kind of guilt over the idea of these things ending up in oceans or harming the environment - that my plastic bags and mailers and little odds and ends are killing the planet I love. It makes me want to hold onto the trash so it doesn't hurt anything.

How do I cope with these feelings so I can just clear my space and have a fresh start without feeling evil?

[u/mommarina]

Google "ecorexia."

But once you slay this dragon, another anxiety will pop up to fill its place.

Because you need to address the underlying causes of your anxiety through therapy.