MIND • BODY • SPIRIT
Sunk Cost Attachment
we paid for it. This is called a sunk-cost attach- ment , where you are focused more on how much you paid for something in the past than on what you will get out of it in the future. When your brain throws up this barrier, it transports you back to the moment and the decision- making process you went through the day you acquired it, regardless of the value it currently holds in your life or for your future. Whether you purchased it, asked someone else for it, accepted it from someone, or found it on the street, how- ever it came into your life, you’re re- membering what went into the process of owning it. You’re recalling the pros and cons list that came up when you decided to get it. You may have waf- fled, or you may have been very clear, but there was a reason behind making this choice. Maybe it was: • Something you viewed as an in- vestment for the future (“ I’ll use this all the time! ”) but that vision didn’t pan out. • Something that has served its pur- pose, and you no longer need it, or are ready for something new to replace it. • A splurge you felt you deserved.
make space in our minds, hearts, and homes for things we truly love and use, the things that serve us in our cur- rent life and foreseeable future, and to let go of the rest. I work with my clients to untangle their relationship to their stuff, to iden- tify the psychological and emotional barriers they face when trying to let things go and develop strategies to move forward. In this four-part series, we’ve explored some of the most com- mon barriers people face when trying to let things go, those statements that start “ I know I should let it go, BUT… ” We’ve explored Guilt and Gifts, Future Fear (“I might need it someday”), and Purposeless Possession (“ but this is still good! ”). This fourth and final installment dives into a barrier that intersects our heart, our minds, and our wallets in a magical cocktail of regret. This is that reaction when we consider letting go of something we don’t need, use, or love, and yet we resist and say, “ But I paid good money for this ” or “ but this was expensive .” We’re saying we’d let it go if it weren’t for that connection we have to the cost of the item in the first place. Instead, we commit to keeping something just because of how much
• An impulse-buy that caught your eye. • A fad you swore wouldn’t be a fad. Or a fad you knew would be a fad. • A risk: “ This might work for us; I’ll buy it and return it if it doesn’t. ” Then you didn’t return it. • A sacrifice or something you made difficult choices to get, and you feel an obligation to the item because of what you sacrificed. • A purchase someone else tried to talk you out of and you hear, “ I told you so, ” when you look at it. When reactions like these come up, your brain is trying to remind you of all the reasons you once thought this was a good idea and convince you it is still a good idea today. It’s chanting to you: “ You already decided to get this. You trad- ed money you could have done something else with but didn’t. That’s a good enough reason to keep this. Forever and ever and ever. ” Cost Versus Value In moments like these, your brain is fixated on reinforcing your deci- sion and the COST, not the VALUE. It is focusing on the outlay of money or
BY KATHY VINES
This is last installment of “Mindful Living Through Letting Go: Facing the Barriers that Get in your Way,” a 4-part series fo- cusing on key psychological and emo- tional barriers people face when trying to let things go, and the strategies to over- come them. Your home is your sanctuary. Or, at least, you think it should be, but you haven’t felt that way about it lately. I hear it every day from people calling me, a Certified Professional Orga- nizer ® , for help: “ I’m just overwhelmed, I have too much stuff, and I don’t know where to start. ” They’re at a loss what to do next but they know things need to change and hope that bringing in an expert can help unlock what’s been holding them back, help them move forward. When I speak to a potential client, I listen to hear if they are able to face the question: “ What am I willing to change in order to live the way I say I want to?” This change is rooted in critical think- ing that can shift our perspective from, “ What am I willing to let go of? ” to “ What is truly worth keeping? ” It invites us to
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Are you a psychic medium? Are you clairaudient?
Do you receive vocal messages?
Many people hear voices or receive vocal messages. Some people are able to channel these unusual experiences in a healthy productive manner, while others find these experiences to be distressing and feel the need for psychiatric care. We hope to gain insights from people who live comfortably with these kinds of experiences that may be helpful to others who find their experiences to be challenging and stressful. Our ultimate goal from this National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study is to learn how to be more helpful to people who struggle with their voices. • If you have these kinds of experiences, we are very interested in working with you in a paid research study at the University of Maryland School of Medicine where we are trying to learn about how these real experiences occur in the brain. If you have psychic abil ities, please contact us so we can determine if you are eligible. People between the age of 18-65 you may be eligible to participate. • The study includes interviews, cognitive testing, EEG recording, and an MRI brain scan. The study involves making 3-4 visits to the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center at 55 Wade Avenue in Catonsville. We have made changes to approaching scientific research during COVID-19. One of these response measures is to move some research assessments online. Depending on your available technology, we can make arrangements for you to complete some assessments remotely on a laptop, tablet or cell phone in order to reduce number of visits to our research center. That said, we have taken many steps to ensure the safety of our research volunteers and staff during any required in-person visits. • Each visit is likely to take 2-3 hours, with payment of $20 per hour. *During COVID-19, these visit durations may be reduced
For additional information, please contact: Sharon August at (saugust@som.umaryland.edu, 410 402 6057 ) https://www.goldcanslab.com/participate
The research is directed by Dr. James Gold, Ph.D (Email: jgold@som.umaryland.edu , Phone: 410 402-7871).
PATHWAYS—Spring 21—25
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