Trying to play the game, keep deleting everything trying to withdraw it from chests.

I've just deleted so much shit and do not process it until I can't craft with it. 100% of the time, not once in 4 days have I had a different thought process... And so, for the umpteenth time, I am locked behind "Oops I deleted all my iron... Again."

This is actually game ruining for me. I do not know how to "fix" it. My brain is clearly hard wired for that to not do that and instead go to my inventory, is there a setting or key-binding I can change somewhere? I don't even know what to look for...