A Gentle Reminder: Your Mind Is Not the Whole of You

Do you ever get stuck in thought loops?

Rehashing a scenario, or feeling anxious about an upcoming event?
I do this often (possibly right now). So I figured—what better subject to write (and vent) about than the plague of overwhelming thoughts, especially in such a crazy time for the world.

Sometimes the to-do lists seem endless. The “shoulds” as well. And I’m here to tell you that even those of us with access to ancient medicine and herbal formulas can get caught up in the whirlwind. We forget to breathe sometimes, too.

Lately, when I find myself looping through tasks and worries, I’ve been nudged by a softer voice in my mind that simply says, “stop.”
It’s not forceful or judgmental.
It’s simple, quiet, and calm — essentially the opposite of the other voices in my mind.
And after the fifteenth time of hearing it, I finally listen. I stop.

Stopping might mean a five-minute guided meditation from my favorite app.
Or simply counting my breaths — ten in, ten out.
Sometimes it’s just sitting and listening to the birds and the sounds around me, being truly present for a few moments.

I was once told in therapy that we often struggle because we try to think our way through feelings.
When we do this, it’s like adding kindling to a fire.
It might take a little while, but when I finally listen to that calm, quiet voice, I stop. I breathe.
Sometimes I even stretch a little, just to drop out of my head and into my body (we get so stuck up there that we forget about the rest of ourselves).
Within a few minutes, the fire of thoughts calms.

Spring naturally brings a surge of energy — freshness, newness, creativity.
In Chinese medicine, this time of year is associated with a feeling of stuckness in motion — the moment before something bursts into life.
Think of how much energy builds to push a bud into bloom.
Sometimes that buildup can feel frustrating or uncomfortable: holding so much energy, but not yet ready to move.
Seasonally, this reflects how many of us may be feeling right now.

This letter is a reminder for myself, and hopefully for anyone else feeling especially “thinky” lately:
Our brains are not the whole of us.

We make better decisions from a balanced place.

To get there, we find what centers us — even for just a moment or two.
We meet ourselves where we are.
We quiet things down.

I tend to make much more heart-informed decisions when I don’t let my brain make all the choices on its own.

I hope you find what centers you this spring — and at any time when it all feels like a little too much.
Even good things can overwhelm or deplete us.
Once we learn how to meditate, dance, sing, walk, do yoga, scream into the void — we have those tools to guide us back, again and again.

And of course, I would be remiss not to mention how much acupuncture and herbal medicine can help when our usual tools aren’t quite enough.
It’s what brought me to this medicine in the first place.

If you’re ever curious about acupressure points you can use at home for stress and overwhelm, just ask!
We are always happy to talk about this stuff ad nauseam. 😉