I don't know if your brain does this, but mine does and it has really helped me to become concious of it.
Sometimes I'll go to the kitchen looking for a snack when I'm actually
not hungry. 9 times out of 10 what I need is a glass of water, but I
perceive the thirst as something more interesting for my tongue.
Sometimes at my lunch break or on the way home from work when I am stressed and mentally tired, I will want to go buy something. Not "I will want to get x", but just a vague shopping urge coming over me. I suspect that I'm remembering being pleased about getting something I desired and so I start to replicate that experience when what I really want is to have spent time doing whatever I damn well pleased instead of working. What I need is to relax and give myself a sense of accomplishment & completion; there are lots of better (and cost-free) ways to do that than shopping.
Be mindful of your actions and urges. Answer your real needs with the right solution, not a placeholder.
Discardia 
I’ve done this, especially with ‘comfort food’ or some kind of sweet. You’re right — when there’s something that is stressing me out (work, or some other external factor, or some emotion), and I’m looking to soothe myself, I may mindlessly reach for some needless calories to fill a void or mask negative feelings. Lately I’ve been trying to use deep breathing to pull myself together and realize that using food or treats is counterproductive. I’ve been practicing Discardia with the material possessions in my life, and I see that this is my next challenge: to acknowledge that ’emotional’ eating is not only an unhealthy habit, but it is also keeping me from being completely decluttered in my life.
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