What’s happening:
You type, “Hey, how was your weekend?” Then delete it - too casual. You try, “Hope you had a great weekend!” but that feels over the top. “What’s up?” feels abrupt. Twenty minutes pass, and you’re still staring at a blank message.

Your friend sends a meme, and suddenly you’re dissecting your response like it’s an exam. Too many laughing emojis? Too few? Add context or just react? You draft three versions before sending one that doesn’t even sound like you.
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Plans get cancelled, and every reply feels loaded: “No worries” - dismissive. “That’s totally fine” - sarcastic. “Thanks for letting me know” - cold. Your drafts folder is a graveyard of overthinking.

Why your brain does this:
Texting tricks you into believing every word must be perfect. Unlike face-to-face conversation, where you respond naturally, the pause before sending awakens your inner critic. You start rehearsing instead of relating, like each text is a job interview.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this over-analysis connects to the Spleen and Stomach - the organs that govern thinking, processing, and digestion. When balanced, they help you digest not only food, but also experiences and thoughts. But when they’re overworked, the energy of the Spleen gets “stuck,” leading to worry, rumination, and mental fatigue. Just as your stomach feels heavy after too much food, your mind feels bogged down after chewing on the same message again and again.

Today’s Spiral Breaker: The 10-Second Rule
When you catch yourself in the draft–delete–redraft loop:

1. Type your first instinct.
2. Set a 10-second timer.
3. Ask: Does this say what I actually mean?
   • If yes, send it.
   • If no, make one quick edit — then send.
4. Remind yourself: “This is just a text, not a permanent record.”

Think of it as giving your Spleen and Stomach a break: stop over-chewing the words, let your thoughts flow, and trust that your natural voice is nourishing enough.
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Reality Check Exercise:
Remember the last time a friend sent you a message that felt awkward, overly formal, or imperfect. Did you dwell on it? Probably not - you cared more about the connection than the exact phrasing. The same is true for your friends. They want you, not your perfectly digested script.

​I hope this article helps you, overthinking is something I have struggled with for years, trying to be perfect, it ungrounds us because we are in our heads. Shiatsu is a wonderful treatment for rebalancing the mind and body and to help you ground yourself. Book a session with me if you're feeling overwhelmed or tired.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spleen governs the thought. 

A deficient Spleen will change the healthy process of “thinking” into the unhealthy “overthinking” or “overanaylsing”. Overthinking drains our energy and makes us unhappy. It keeps us stuck in a loop, which prevents us from finding any proper solution.

In Chinese Medicine, the Five Elements Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water each correspond to specific organs, emotions, flavours, seasons creating a holistic understanding of health. 

The Earth element corresponds to the Spleen, late summer, and the sweet flavour, governing worry. Worry can be viewed as a different form of “overthinking”: with fear rather than confusion.

The sweet flavour corresponds to the Earth element, governing stomach and spleen. These organs are all about feeling centered, grounded and nurtured. When out of balance, we feel jittery, in our heads, constantly craving food (sugary foods or carbs) or needing things out of our reach to feel satisfied, comforted and fulfilled.

If you have deficiency in the Spleen system, you may get:

• bloated
• tired
• weak limbs
• lower appetite
• sagging flesh
• prolapse
• slow digestion
• sugar cravings

Some tips to help your Spleen Qi.

Rest your brain
Concentrating, problem solving and worrying take a lot of energy. Just like an endurance athlete might become exhausted from training without enough rest, you can become exhausted when you concentrate or think continuously without a break.

Make sure that you take a 10 minute brain break for every hour of brain work, e.g. working on the computer, studying, reading information that requires concentration, working out solutions to problems etc. Any thing that allows your brain to switch off will help, like going for a short walk, putting a load of laundry on, tending to a plant, getting in the garden, or just staring out of the window for a while. 

​Learning meditation or breathing techniques can bring yourself back into the present moment, calm the mind and let go of the past as we cannot change what has gone before.

Diet tips

• Raw and cold foods are hard for your spleen system. 
• Eat less raw and cold foods like ice cream, yogurt, bananas, cold drinks
• Reduce damp and mucus producing foods such as dairy
• Eat warming foods such as soups, stews, baked foods
• Eat regular meals at regular times
• Avoid eating large meals after 6pm
• Do gentle workouts to strengthen your limbs and muscles - but not overexert yourself.

If you experience any of these symptoms above, I can help you get back into balance with a nurturing Shiatsu treatment to help you feel relaxed and grounded.

Contact Sarah to book your session