Spring is definitely here — warmer weather, longer days and the cherry blossoms in bloom. Not a minute too soon. With the rough winter we had, we all deserve some kind of medal.

With the change in season, people often do an annual “spring cleaning” in their homes, which usually involves getting rid of unnecessary stuff that’s amassed in closets and drawers the past several months.

I’m a big fan of the concept; I find it very cathartic. But what if you could do the same thing with your mind? What if you could de-clutter your mind of competing, and sometimes harmful, thoughts?

Here’s an example:  Suppose you want to ask your neighbor if he can keep his dogs from barking early in the morning so they don’t keep waking you up. Reasonable request, right?

But then some competing thoughts start jockeying for position:  ‘What if my neighbor gets mad at me?’ or ‘What if I tell him and nothing changes?’ or ‘Is my concern really valid?’ (Is the barking really that bad?)

Pretty soon the original thought you had is pushed down and you’re listening to the questioning and doubting thoughts, the ones that keep you stuck in a state of limbo — not to mention with a pillow over your head at 7 am on Saturday morning as you endure yet another round of yapping from the other side of the fence.

Instead, de-clutter your mind of these negative thoughts and return to the original thought you had:  ‘I want the barking to stop so I can sleep.’ It’s the one essential thought you had about the situation. It’s plain and simple. Clear and direct. Pure.

Now that you’ve de-cluttered your mind, step two is walking to your neighbor’s house and in a firm but polite manner asking him to please keep his dogs from barking early in the morning. That’s it. No need to clutter your request with apologies and justifications.

Remember: simple, direct and de-cluttered. Enjoy your spring cleaning.

If you’d like more help with this, call me at 202.588.1288 or email me at david@dctalktherapy.com