Last week in clinic, I noticed something.
I had a stretch of complicated patients, was running behind, and could feel that familiar pressure building — the thought arriving almost before I could catch it: I’m behind. There’s too much to do.
And what struck me wasn’t the schedule.
It was how automatic that thought felt. How quickly it took over — without me even questioning it. How it colored the next patient encounter, the next chart, the rest of my afternoon.
And that thought—I’m behind—felt so true I didn’t even think to question it.
It made me think about something else entirely.
The Clutter We Stop Seeing
Every spring I find myself doing the same thing — opening drawers I haven’t touched in months, sorting through my closet, holding things up and asking: does this still belong here?
We do this for our homes. We rarely do it for our minds.
Here’s the thing about clutter: after a while, you stop noticing it. That pile on the counter becomes background. The junk drawer gets opened and closed without a second thought. You forget there’s something you actually love buried under all of it.
Our thoughts work the same way.
As physician moms, we move fast.
We’re managing a patient panel, running a household, trying to be present for our kids—while running a constant inner commentary we’ve stopped questioning.
It’s just there. Like the clutter. Invisible.
The Thoughts in the Drawer
Here are some I hear from physician moms all the time — and ones I’ve thought myself:
I’m already behind. This clinic schedule is impossible. I should be faster. I should have closed that chart already. This patient is difficult. There’s too much paperwork. I’ll just finish the charts later.
We treat these thoughts as facts. As just the weather of our day. But here’s the reality — thoughts aren’t neutral. They create feelings, and feelings drive actions, and actions create results.
That thought — I’ll just finish charts later — feels like relief in the moment. But it’s often the very thought keeping those charts open at 9pm, when you’re sitting at the kitchen table, laptop open, half-present with your family.
The thought isn’t harmless. It has a cost.
I’ve written before about how closing the chart in real time changes everything…https://mindfuldocmom.com/the-chart-i-almost-left-open-and-why-i-almost-left-it/
Decluttering, Not Toxic Positivity
This isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s not about forcing yourself to think I love my EMR when you absolutely do not.
Spring cleaning isn’t about pretending the clutter was never there. It’s about deciding what stays.
You pick something up and you ask: is this serving me? Does this belong in the life I’m building?
We can do the same with our thoughts.
- Is “I’m already behind” actually true — or just familiar?
- What does staying in that thought create for the rest of my day?
- Is there a thought that’s more useful and honest I could choose instead?
Maybe it’s: I’m managing a lot, and I’m going to focus on what’s in front of me right now.
Not a toxic reframe. Just a more intentional choice.
What Gets Uncovered When You Clear the Clutter
The best part of a good cleanout isn’t throwing things away. It’s what you find underneath.
The thing you forgot you loved. The piece of jewelry buried under old receipts. The space that opens up when the excess is gone.
When we do the work of clearing out thoughts that aren’t serving us, the same thing happens. We find our patience again. Our curiosity about a patient’s story. The version of ourselves our kids see when we walk in the door and we’re actually there — not still mentally sitting in clinic finishing charts.
That’s what’s possible when we make room.
A Place to Start
You don’t have to overhaul your entire inner world this week. Spring cleaning happens one drawer at a time.
Try this: at the end of your next clinic day or shift, take two minutes and ask yourself —
What thought did I have the most today? And what did it cost me?
Just notice. You don’t have to fix anything yet. Awareness is always the first step.
That’s where the work begins — and where everything starts to shift.
And often, this is the work that subtly changes whether your charts stay open at night… or get closed during the day.
If this resonates and you’re ready to go deeper, this is exactly the work we do together in coaching.
You can schedule a free call with me at https://calendly.com/mindfuldocmom/free-45-minute-mini-session
