Mind Matters with Kyle MacDonald: Hoarding for pandemic lockdowns and feeling stressed 20 Feb, 2021 05:13 PM 4 minutes to read Hoarding is a subconscious reaction to seeing others rushing out to buy the likes of toilet paper and flour. Photo / File Hoarding is a subconscious reaction to seeing others rushing out to buy the likes of toilet paper and flour. Photo / File Why do people hoard toilet paper and flour when we go into "lockdown"? As a Covid-19 level change was announced on Sunday and Auckland went into level 3 "lockdown", queues formed at supermarkets and petrol stations despite the fact that all those essential services would be open the next day. Photos of shelves emptied of flour and the inevitable panic about toilet paper may seem silly - but the feelings are very real.