# shrinQ full content > shrinQ teaches people to recognize and work with common thinking patterns: overthinking, rumination, avoidance, catastrophizing, and the mental traps behind everyday stress. The free field guide to these loops is The Pattern Library. It offers structured educational frameworks and exercises, not therapy or treatment. Part of The Shrink Network; reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA. Last generated 2026-09-23. This file inlines the full text of the most important shrinQ pages so AI systems can answer from the content directly. Regenerated on every publish. --- # shrinQ | Patterns. Understood. Source: https://shrinq.com/ Patterns. Understood. ## Overthinking has a pattern. So does the way out. Understand why your mind gets loud, and build tools that hold up on a hard day. A self-guided program from a board-certified psychiatrist, anchored by The Pattern Library , a field guide to the loops behind overthinking. Take the free 2-minute self-check See how shrinQ ® works Free to start. No account needed for the self-check. - The mechanism ## Your mind isn't malfunctioning. It's running a loop. Anxiety and overthinking aren't random, and they aren't a flaw in how you think. They run a four-step loop, close to the same one every time. Tap any step to see what it looks like. 1 ## Your body shifts before any thought 2 ## Your brain explains it it writes a reason 3 ## You react it feels like solving 4 ## The loop tightens and it runs again and around again back to step one Your body shifts. A small change in your nervous system comes first. A tight chest, a quicker heartbeat, a restlessness you can't sit still through. There's no thought yet. The body has just changed gear. shrinQ teaches you to read this loop and interrupt it at the body, at the thought, and at the reaction. That's the whole system in one picture. See the Pattern Library for the specific loops it applies to. Start where you are ## What sounds most like you? shrinQ is built for everyday overthinking and anxiety. People arrive at it in different shapes. One of these will probably sound familiar. Not sure where to begin? Start here . Overthinking ## "My mind won't stop replaying things." You circle the same conversation or decision. Each lap feels like progress. It isn't. Anxiety ## "I feel on edge all day." Your mind runs ahead, braced for problems that haven't arrived. Panic ## "It hits me out of nowhere." Your heart spikes, your breath tightens, and a thought says something is wrong. Feeling stuck ## "Everything feels heavy and far away." No spike, just a sag. Tasks feel distant, and you keep waiting to feel ready. The high-performer pattern ## "I look fine. Inside, it's another story." Perfectionism, people-pleasing, and a scoreboard that never reads enough. How shrinQ is shaped ## Four phases, not a long list to finish. shrinQ has eleven modules and a checkpoint. You don't meet them as a list. You move through four phases, and each one has a clear job. Phase 1 Understand the noise See what your mind is actually doing, and why logic alone hasn't reached it. This is the foundation, so it gets the most time. Includes: where you are now, why your brain feels loud, the trap of certainty, and a checkpoint for when it might be something else. Phase 2 Interrupt the loop Learn the shrinkMD Reset, the one sequence you run when you can't think clearly, and how to let a thought exist without obeying it. Includes: the shrinkMD Reset, and noticing thoughts without wrestling them. Phase 3 Move through it Apply the Reset where it's needed most: the body, panic, and the avoidance that keeps you in place. Includes: the body and anxiety, panic and overwhelm, and getting unstuck. Phase 4 Keep it Work with the deeper patterns that pull you back, and build a practice that holds up on a hard day. Includes: relationships and high performers, burnout and recovery, and staying unstuck. There's no schedule. Plan for roughly a week or two in each phase, and adjust to what your life allows. You keep access, so the pace is yours. Free to start ## Start with something free, and useful. Before you decide anything, use one of these. Each one is genuinely useful on its own, and it's yours whether or not you ever buy the system. ## The overthinking self-check A two-minute check that shows you the shape of your own pattern. Start the self-check ## The thought-spiral worksheet A one-page tool for the middle of a spiral, not for later when you're calm. Open the worksheet ## The panic-reset guide A short, practical guide for what to do in the moment. Open the guide Why it's built this way ## A structured system, not a pile of tips. shrinQ isn't a set of affirmations and it isn't generic advice. It's assembled from the three books Dr. Refai wrote on this exact problem, organized so each piece builds on the last. It's focused on one thing: changing how you respond to your own mind, because that's the part you can actually move. And it's honest about its limits. The free tools lead in, shrinQ is the system, and professional care is the next step when it's needed. It tells you plainly when that's the case. The person behind shrinQ ## Dr. Shariq Refai shrinQ was built by Dr. Shariq Refai, a board-certified psychiatrist with dual board certification in psychiatry and in sports and performance psychiatry, and more than fifteen years in practice. He's the founder of shrinkMD and the author of the three books shrinQ is built from. It's the same material he's spent his career teaching, organized so you can work through it on your own. More about Dr. Refai Honestly ## What shrinQ does, and what it doesn't. shrinQ won't remove anxiety, and it won't promise you a calm mind by Friday. Anything that does is selling something. What it does is teach you to read what your mind is doing and respond to it differently, so the loud stretches get shorter, less frequent, and less frightening over time. Some people notice a shift in the first week. For others it takes longer. For some, a self-guided program isn't enough on its own, and shrinQ is honest about when that's true and what to do about it. If overthinking is a symptom of something bigger, evaluate with shrinkMD . There are no testimonials on this page yet, because shrinQ is new and inventing them isn't something we'll do. What's real is the method, the three books behind it, and the psychiatrist who wrote them. When genuine reviews exist, they'll go here, with permission. About the network ## Why is shrinQ its own thing? Mental health isn't one thing. Reading about overthinking and working through overthinking are not the same activity. A program needs its own space, with its own structure, separate from the educational sites that explain the same topics. A site that tries to be an encyclopedia and a self-guided program at once ends up doing neither well. shrinQ is the dedicated practice space in The Shrink Network . The rest of the network covers everything else. Read why so many sites → Where shrinQ fits ## The application layer of The Shrink Network . The Shrink Network is a family of independent mental-health properties. Some explain the concepts, some map the symptoms, and one provides clinical care. shrinQ is the application layer: the place you go to actually work with a pattern, not just read about it. If you want the mechanism first, read how shrinQ works , then see the program and the Pattern Library . The Shrink Network is an independent mental health knowledge ecosystem built around one idea: mental health is too important to squeeze into one website. Each site has one job. Together, they help people understand, apply, and access care. No matter where you enter the network, we help you find the next step that makes sense. Your mind. Understood. Learn the concepts Learn one concept a day Explore anxiety See the research Get clinical care See the whole network Built by a board-certified psychiatrist as an educational system, not medical care. Pricing ## One price. The whole system. Founder's price, first cohort $67 $97 A one-time purchase. No subscription. The founder's price is a real introductory price while shrinQ is new. - All four phases and eleven modules - The Module 0 self-assessment and the checkpoint - Interactive exercises you do on the page - The shrinkMD Reset, one tap away throughout - Lifetime access and free updates shrinQ is the practice layer of The Shrink Network . It helps people understand and work with the patterns that keep them stuck. Get shrinQ (opening soon) A premium tier with audio companions is planned for later and isn't sold yet. 14 -day money-back guarantee. shrinQ is an educational program, not treatment, and individual results vary. Using a learning or wellness stipend from your employer? shrinQ qualifies as a professional-development purchase, and we provide an itemized receipt for reimbursement. Opening soon ## Get the launch link the day it goes live. Stripe's almost wired. Drop your email and I'll send you the link the day shrinQ opens, plus the founder's price while it lasts. One email when it's live. No newsletter. Email address Notify me when shrinQ opens Your email goes to me, not to a marketing list. ## Your mind has been loud for a while. There's a structure to why, and a structure to the way through it. When you're ready, start with the free self-check. Take the free 2-minute self-check --- # A structured system for overthinking and anxiety | shrinQ Source: https://shrinq.com/system/ The system ## A structured way through overthinking and anxiety. shrinQ takes you from understanding why your mind feels loud to a daily practice that holds up. It's self-guided, you keep it for good, and it's built by a board-certified psychiatrist from his three books on this exact problem. Share this page Why most advice hasn't worked ## You weren't given the wrong effort. You were given the wrong target. Think positive. Challenge the thought. Just calm down. Most anxiety advice is aimed at your thinking, and it asks you to use it in the exact moment your thinking is least available. Anxiety usually starts in the body. A shift in your nervous system comes first, and the thought arrives after, as your brain's attempt to explain a feeling that was already there. Advice aimed only at the thought is aimed at the wrong part of the system, at the wrong time. That's why it hasn't held. shrinQ starts where the loop actually starts. The Pattern Library shows the specific loops, and the program teaches you to work with them. The four phases ## Eleven modules, organized into four phases. Each phase has one job. Here's what's inside each one. Phase 1 Understand the noise The foundation. You see what your mind is doing and why logic alone hasn't reached it. This phase gets the most time. Where you are now: a non-diagnostic look at your own pattern.   Why your brain feels loud: threat detection, and why the body moves first.   The trap of certainty: how reassurance and checking keep the loop alive.   When it might be something else: a checkpoint that helps you recognize early whether something other than everyday anxiety is in play. Phase 2 Interrupt the loop The tools. You learn the one sequence to run when you can't think clearly, and how to step back from a thought. The shrinkMD Reset: the core framework, taught directly and in full.   Noticing thoughts without wrestling them: letting a thought exist without obeying, arguing, or solving it. Phase 3 Move through it The application. You take the Reset into the places it's needed most. The body and anxiety: sleep, caffeine, movement, and the breath as direct levers.   Panic and overwhelm: the panic cycle and the tools that meet it.   Getting unstuck: avoidance, action, and a healthier relationship with a step that doesn't work. Phase 4 Keep it The maintenance. You work with the deeper patterns and build something that lasts. Relationships and high performers: perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the high-performer pattern.   Burnout and recovery: the three signs of burnout, and rebuilding recovery when demand has outrun it.   Staying unstuck: what changes over time, and a plan for the hard stretches. There's no clock. Plan for roughly a week or two per phase, with Phase 1 usually taking longest because it's the foundation. You keep access, so you can work at the pace your life allows. The spine of the system ## The shrinkMD Reset The Reset is one repeatable, eight-step sequence you run when a loop starts and you can't think clearly. It's the thing you actually carry out of shrinQ. Every later module applies it, which is why it's taught directly, once, in its own module. S H R I N K M D Eight steps, built to be remembered under pressure. You learn what each one is, and how to run the sequence in full or one step at a time, inside the program. Once it's there, it's always one tap away, from any module. How a module works ## Each module is a designed lesson, not a document. Every module follows the same calm shape, so you always know where you are. Read ## A short teaching section The written lesson, set for comfortable reading, with worked examples from real clinical patterns. Do ## One or two exercises Real input, on the page. A prompt and a response box, not a printable PDF you'll never open. Carry ## A Run the Reset button The shrinkMD Reset is one tap away from anywhere in the program, for the moment you need it. Hold ## A takeaway and a progress marker One sentence to carry out of the module, and a clear sense of how far along you are. A short talking-head introduction from Dr. Refai and audio companions for the exercises are planned as a later premium tier. The module layout already leaves room for both. Who it's for ## shrinQ is a good fit if You live with everyday overthinking, anxiety, or mental noise. You've tried generic advice that didn't hold. You want a real structure rather than a feed of tips, and you're willing to do short exercises, not just read. And who it isn't ## It isn't the right tool if Your symptoms are severe, getting worse, or interfering with your work, sleep, or relationships. If it might be something other than everyday anxiety, the checkpoint in Phase 1 helps you recognize that early and points you toward an evaluation. shrinQ is education. It sits alongside professional care, never in place of it. Pricing ## One price. The whole system. Founder's price, first cohort $67 $97 A one-time purchase. No subscription. The founder's price is a real introductory price while shrinQ is new, with no countdown and no pressure. - All four phases and eleven modules - The Module 0 self-assessment and the checkpoint - Interactive exercises you do on the page - The shrinkMD Reset, one tap away throughout - Lifetime access and free updates Get shrinQ (opening soon) A premium tier with audio companions ($197) is planned for later and isn't sold yet. 14 -day money-back guarantee: if shrinQ isn't right for you, write to us within 14 days for a full refund, no explanation needed. Using a learning or wellness stipend from your employer? shrinQ qualifies as a professional-development purchase, and we provide an itemized receipt. Buying for a team? See shrinQ for teams . A note on what this is. shrinQ is a paid, self-guided educational program. It is not therapy, not a diagnosis, and not treatment for any condition. It is not crisis support and not a substitute for care from a licensed professional. Using it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. If your symptoms are severe or worsening, please work with a clinician. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the US. Read the full medical disclaimer and terms of purchase . Share this page Keep going ## Related resources ## More on shrinQ - Try the free tools - About Dr. Refai - Frequently asked questions ## From The Shrink Network - Rumination (ShrinkDaily) - Metacognition (ShrinkDaily) - Unstuck - shrinkMD (clinical practice) ## Trusted references - Anxiety disorders (NIMH) - Caring for your mental health (NIMH) Independent public-health resources, offered for background. shrinQ is not affiliated with them. --- # The shrinQ Program: A Structured Educational System for Overthinking | shrinQ Source: https://shrinq.com/program/ The program ## Overthinking isn't a lack of insight. If overthinking responded to insight, you'd already be done. The articles you've read are accurate. The advice you've gotten is reasonable. The reason it hasn't worked is that overthinking has a pattern, and patterns don't yield to information. They yield to structure. The promise ## Learn the pattern. Work with it. Move on. shrinQ is a structured educational system that teaches the pattern behind overthinking and gives you a repeatable way to work with it. The pattern has four moves: Pattern, Pause, Reframe, Act. Once you can see the pattern, the work becomes mechanical. You stop arguing with the loop and start interrupting it. If you want the underlying mechanism first, the shrinQ system lays it out, and the Pattern Library shows the loops it applies to. What's inside ## What's inside. The whole system, organized so each piece builds on the last. No app to install. - Eleven structured modules across four phases: Pattern, Pause, Reframe, and Act - The shrinkMD Reset, the in-the-moment sequence you run when a loop starts - The Module 0 self-assessment and the Phase 1 checkpoint - Interactive exercises you do on the page, not a PDF you'll never open - The Pattern Library as a reference for the loops you live with - Lifetime access and free updates - No app required. It works in your browser. What you get ## What you actually get. - Immediate, lifetime access to all four phases and eleven modules - The shrinkMD Reset and every interactive exercise - The self-assessment and the checkpoint that tells you when it might be more than everyday anxiety - Free updates as the materials improve - An itemized receipt, so a learning or wellness stipend can cover it Who it's for ## Who it's for. People who already understand they overthink and want a structured way to do something about it. People who've tried meditation, journaling, and breathing exercises and want the next move. People who think faster than they sleep. Who it's not for ## Who it's not for. People in active crisis, people who need a clinical diagnosis or medication, and people who want a chat-based AI companion. shrinQ is educational. It's not therapy and not medical care. Why a psychiatrist built it ## Built by a board-certified psychiatrist. I'm Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, a board-certified psychiatrist, and I built shrinQ as an educational system, not medical care. The framework draws on cognitive-behavioral models, exposure principles, and the clinical literature on rumination and metacognition. The point isn't to deliver therapy through a website. It's to give you the structure that therapy would help you build, in a format you can practice on your own. Before you buy ## Questions before you buy. ## Is this therapy? No. shrinQ is educational. It teaches a structured approach to working with overthinking. It doesn't diagnose, it doesn't replace clinical care, and it doesn't claim to cure any condition. ## Will it work? shrinQ teaches a framework. Whether it works depends on whether you do the work. In my clinical experience with these patterns, people who work through the modules and practice the four-move pattern often notice a shift within a few weeks. Some notice sooner, some later, and some need more than a self-guided program can offer. Individual results vary, and no outcome is guaranteed. ## What's the refund policy? There's a 14-day refund window. If shrinQ isn't useful to you, email support@shrinq.com within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. No questions asked. ## Will I need to keep paying? No. One-time purchase, lifetime access. We update the materials over time, and updates are included. ## What if I'm in crisis? shrinQ isn't a crisis resource. If you're in immediate danger, call or text 988 in the US for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or 911 for emergencies. Outside the US, contact local emergency services. shrinQ is for educational use when you're stable and looking for structure. ## What shrinQ doesn't promise. - It doesn't diagnose any condition. - It isn't therapy. - It doesn't replace clinical care. - It doesn't promise symptom elimination. What it does: it teaches structured ways to understand and work with the patterns that keep people stuck. Get shrinQ ## One price. The whole system. Founder's price, first cohort $67 $97 A one-time purchase. No subscription, no countdown, no urgency. shrinQ sells on substance. - All four phases and eleven modules - The Module 0 self-assessment and the checkpoint - Interactive exercises you do on the page - The shrinkMD Reset, one tap away throughout - Lifetime access and free updates Get shrinQ (opening soon) 14 -day money-back guarantee: if shrinQ isn't useful to you, email support@shrinq.com within 14 days for a full refund, no questions asked. One-time purchase, lifetime access, free updates. shrinQ is an educational program, not treatment, and individual results vary. Built by a board-certified psychiatrist as an educational system, not medical care. If you finish the program and the loops are still running your day, or if your symptoms reach beyond what education can address, consider a psychiatric evaluation at shrinkMD . shrinkMD is Dr. Refai's separate clinical practice. Opening soon ## I'll let you know the moment it opens. I'm finishing the checkout flow now. While that's wrapping up, drop your email below and I'll send you the link the day shrinQ opens, plus the founder's price while it lasts. No newsletter, no marketing sequence. One email when it's live, and then I leave you alone. Email address Notify me when shrinQ opens Your email goes to me, not to a marketing list. Keep going ## Related resources ## More on shrinQ - How shrinQ works - The Pattern Library - Try the free tools ## From The Shrink Network - shrinkMD (clinical practice) - ShrinkNetwork.com ## Trusted references - Anxiety disorders (NIMH) - Caring for your mental health (NIMH) Independent public-health resources, offered for background. shrinQ is not affiliated with them. --- # How shrinQ works: a structured educational system, not therapy | shrinQ Source: https://shrinq.com/how-it-works/ How it works ## How shrinQ works. A structured educational system, not therapy. What shrinQ is ## A structured educational system for overthinking. shrinQ is a structured educational system for overthinking, rumination, and anxiety loops. It teaches the pattern behind those experiences and gives you a repeatable way to work with it. The framework is the four-move pattern: Pattern, Pause, Reframe, Act. You learn to see the loop, interrupt it, change your relationship to the thought, and take the next small action instead of feeding the spiral. This is a lightweight, self-guided cousin of cognitive behavioral therapy . shrinQ teaches the framework as education, not treatment. For the reference-level explainer on CBT as a clinical modality, see the Shrinkopedia entry. You don't have to take my word for the mechanism. The shrinQ system walks through why the loop starts in the body, and the Pattern Library shows the specific loops it applies to. Why I built it ## Why I built shrinQ. When I started writing the books, the question I kept getting from readers was, "OK, I see the pattern now. What do I actually do with it on a Tuesday night?" The books are good at the seeing. They're less good at the doing. In the office, I have an hour with someone. I can walk them through the pattern, hand them a structure, and watch what happens when they try it. But most people don't have a psychiatrist they can call on a Tuesday. They have the books, or they have a search bar at 2 a.m. shrinQ is what I'd give someone between sessions, or instead of waiting for one. It's the structure I use clinically, turned into a system you can work through on your own. The same four moves. The same loops. The same exits. Educational, not medical. Not a replacement for clinical care, but a real way to work with the patterns when you don't have a clinician in front of you. If you're already in therapy, shrinQ sits alongside it. If you're not, it's structure you can practice with on your own. Either way, the framework is the same. You learn to see the pattern. You interrupt it. You change your relationship to the thought. You take the next small action. That's the whole job. Shariq Refai , MD, MBA. Board-certified psychiatrist. Founder of shrinQ. What shrinQ is not ## What shrinQ is not. - Not therapy. - Not medical care. - Not a diagnosis tool. - Not a chatbot. - Not a substitute for clinical care. Who it's for ## Who it's for. People who already understand they overthink and want a structured way to do something about it. People who've tried meditation, journaling, and breathing exercises and want the next move. What it includes ## What the system includes. - Eleven modules across four phases: Pattern, Pause, Reframe, Act - The shrinkMD Reset and on-page exercises - The self-assessment and the Phase 1 checkpoint - The Pattern Library as a reference - Lifetime access, free updates, no app required After purchase ## What happens after purchase. You receive immediate access. The first module is open. You can move at your own pace. Updates are included. No app required. The whole system works in your browser. Educational, not therapy ## Why it's educational, not therapy. Therapy involves diagnosis, treatment planning, and a clinical relationship. shrinQ doesn't do any of those things. It teaches a framework. If you need therapy, see a licensed therapist. If you need psychiatric care, see a psychiatrist. shrinQ can sit alongside clinical care or stand alone as education. It doesn't replace either. ## What shrinQ doesn't promise. - It doesn't diagnose any condition. - It isn't therapy. - It doesn't replace clinical care. - It doesn't promise symptom elimination. What it does: it teaches structured ways to understand and work with the patterns that keep people stuck. Refund and access ## Refund and access policy. There's a 14 -day refund window. If shrinQ isn't useful to you, email support@shrinq.com within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. No questions asked. It's a one-time purchase with lifetime access, and updates are included. ## Ready to start? If the four-move pattern sounds like what you've been missing, the program is where you learn it in full. See the shrinQ Program Built by a board-certified psychiatrist as an educational system, not medical care. Opening soon ## I'll let you know the moment it opens. I'm finishing the checkout flow now. While that's wrapping up, drop your email below and I'll send you the link the day shrinQ opens, plus the founder's price while it lasts. No newsletter, no marketing sequence. One email when it's live, and then I leave you alone. Email address Notify me when shrinQ opens Your email goes to me, not to a marketing list. Keep going ## Related resources ## More on shrinQ - See the shrinQ Program - The Pattern Library - Frequently asked questions ## From The Shrink Network - Shrinkopedia - AnxietyResearch.org - Unstuck - shrinkMD (clinical practice) - ShrinkNetwork.com ## Trusted references - Anxiety disorders (NIMH) - Caring for your mental health (NIMH) Independent public-health resources, offered for background. shrinQ is not affiliated with them. Your next step in The Shrink Network ## Where to go next You are here: shrinQ, the thinking-patterns layer. ## Define the term Look up a concept in plain language, on Shrinktionary. Continue → ## Understand the concept The fuller concept and clinical framing, on Shrinkopedia. Continue → ## See the evidence What the research literature says, on AnxietyResearch. Continue → ## Reset in the moment A quick guided reset for when a loop hits, with Unstuck. Continue → ## Get clinical support If it is affecting your daily life, shrinkMD is Dr. Refai's psychiatry practice. Continue → shrinQ is education, not medical care. shrinkMD is a separate clinical practice. --- # The Pattern Library: the loops behind overthinking | shrinQ Source: https://shrinq.com/patterns/ Pattern Library ## The Pattern Library. Every overthinking experience follows a pattern. Once you can see the pattern, you can work with it. Overthinking, rumination, panic, and avoidance all run on patterns. The patterns are predictable. They have entry points, escalation points, and exits. The Pattern Library catalogs the patterns we see most often in the people we work with. Each pattern has its own page. Each pattern routes to the part of the shrinQ system that teaches you what to do. A pattern is a loop your mind runs. It has four moves in it, close to the same order every time. Your body shifts first. Your brain writes a reason. You react to the reason. The reaction feeds the body, and the loop tightens. See how shrinQ works for the underlying framework, or open any pattern below to see the specific version of the loop. The reasons your brain writes at step two are named things. They have a whole literature. For the reference explainer on the categories those reasons fall into, see the cognitive distortions entry on Shrinkopedia . shrinQ is the practice layer for working with the loop; Shrinkopedia is the encyclopedia layer for the concepts inside it. If you're not sure which pattern is yours, a good starting point is the two-minute self-check . It's built to surface the pattern in the shape of your own thinking, without asking you to name it first. ## The Reassurance Loop You ask the same question, feel relief, then the doubt comes back. Each ask buys less. Read the pattern → ## The Rumination Loop You replay the past as if enough thinking will fix it. It feels productive and isn't. Read the pattern → ## The Avoidance Loop Avoiding the thing drops the anxiety, which trains you to avoid more. Avoidance grows. Read the pattern → ## The Nighttime Loop Your mind reactivates the moment you lie down, and worry about sleep makes sleep harder. Read the pattern → ## The Perfectionism Loop The standard rises every time you hit it, so finishing and starting both get harder. Read the pattern → ## The Procrastination Loop Avoiding the task feels good now, the relief shrinks, and the task gets harder to start. Read the pattern → ## Why you keep falling into old patterns You swear this time will be different, stress hits, and the old routine runs anyway. Read the pattern → ## Why you make yourself small You hedge, apologize, and take up less room to keep the peace. It costs more than it saves. Read the pattern → ## The Doomscrolling Loop You open the app for one thing and keep swiping through bad news, more wound up than when you started. Read the pattern → Keep going ## Related resources ## More on shrinQ - See the shrinQ Program - How shrinQ works - Try the free tools ## From The Shrink Network - Shrinkopedia - AnxietyResearch.org - Unstuck - shrinkMD (clinical practice) - ShrinkNetwork.com ## Trusted references - Anxiety disorders (NIMH) - Caring for your mental health (NIMH) Independent public-health resources, offered for background. shrinQ is not affiliated with them. --- # Free anxiety and overthinking tools, no signup | shrinQ Source: https://shrinq.com/free-tools/ The starter toolkit ## Free tools, genuinely useful on their own. Ten tools, each one genuinely useful on its own. They're quick to use, free, and yours to keep. They lead into shrinQ, but they don't depend on it. Start anywhere. Share this page In the moment For when it's happening, and you need something now. Panic ## The panic-reset guide What to do during a panic wave. The 60-second reset, the fallback for when that's too much, and how to recover after. Open the guide Mid-spiral ## The thought-spiral worksheet Five steps to work while a spiral is running, not later when you're calm. Open the worksheet Two minutes ## The breathing pacer A guided, paced breath with a longer exhale. Follow the circle and let your nervous system settle. Start the pacer One minute ## The grounding exercise An interactive walk through your five senses, to pull attention out of your head and into the room. Start grounding Five minutes ## The five-minute reset A guided exercise, with the breathing pacer built in, that changes the direction your system is heading. Start the exercise Know your pattern Short, honest self-checks. Not diagnoses, just a clearer look. Two minutes ## The overthinking self-check An eight-point read on how loud your mind is, then the shape of your loop and the first move that fits it. Start the self-check One minute ## The rumination check A quick read on whether you're reflecting or looping, and what to do if it turns out to be a loop. Start the check Guides A little more depth, for patterns that need more than a moment. Evening ## The sleep wind-down A practical pre-sleep routine for a mind that gets loud at night, built on sleep science. Open the wind-down When you're stuck ## The first-step finder For the tasks you keep avoiding. It shrinks the thing until there's a step you can take right now. Find your first step Reading ## Short reads A small library of plain-language explainers on how anxiety and overthinking actually work. Open the reads Print and keep ## Prefer paper? There are printables too Eight free PDF downloads, including the Overthinking Workbook, the Four Moves reference card, and printable versions of these worksheets. No signup. Browse the downloads After the tools ## Then there's the full system shrinQ is the paid system these tools come from: eleven modules, the shrinkMD Reset, and a daily practice that holds up. The tools are a taste. The shrinQ Program is the structure, and the Pattern Library shows the loops it works with. See how shrinQ works About these tools. They are educational. They are not medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or crisis support. If you are in crisis, in the US you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Share this page Keep going ## Related resources ## More on shrinQ - How the shrinQ system works - About Dr. Refai - Frequently asked questions ## From The Shrink Network - AnxietyResource.org - DepressionResource.org - Unstuck - shrinkMD (clinical practice) ## Trusted references - Anxiety disorders (NIMH) - Caring for your mental health (NIMH) Independent public-health resources, offered for background. shrinQ is not affiliated with them. --- # Dr. Shariq Refai, board-certified psychiatrist | shrinQ Source: https://shrinq.com/about/ About ## Dr. Shariq Refai Dr. Shariq Refai is a board-certified psychiatrist. He holds dual board certification, in psychiatry and in sports and performance psychiatry, and he's practiced for more than fifteen years. He's the founder of shrinkMD , a psychiatric practice, and he medically edits a set of mental-health education sites . Over the years he wrote three books on the same problem from different angles: the loop that anxiety runs in the body, the patterns of thinking that keep people stuck, and a workbook of exercises for practicing the way out. Why he built shrinQ ## The material that helps people was already written. Most of what works for everyday overthinking and anxiety isn't a secret. The problem is the form. It sits in books, in research, and in clinical practice, and most people never get it in a shape they can actually work through on their own. shrinQ is those three books rebuilt as a structured program. Same material, organized into phases, with exercises you do on the page instead of advice you read and forget. It's the system Dr. Refai has spent his career teaching, made into something you can use without an appointment. The source material ## The three books shrinQ is built from shrinQ didn't invent its content. It's the structured, exercise-driven version of three books Dr. Refai wrote on overthinking and anxiety. If you'd like to read first, or go deeper afterward, start here. ## The Havoc in Your Head The in-the-moment book. How anxiety runs as a loop in the body, and what to do while it's happening. Find the book ## Your Mind Is Full of Sh*t The patterns book. The habits of thinking that quietly keep people stuck, and how to see through them. Find the book ## The Workbook The companion to Your Mind Is Full of Sh*t. The exercises, drawn from CBT and acceptance-based work, that turn the ideas into habits. Find the book The books are a good introduction. shrinQ is the structured program that puts them to work, with exercises, a clear path, and the shrinkMD Reset taught in full. Beyond the practice ## Working with people who look fine on the outside. Alongside clinical work, Dr. Refai works with companies on mental health and speaks on how overthinking and anxiety show up in high-performing people, the ones who look fine from the outside and are carrying a great deal underneath. That's a thread that runs through shrinQ. It takes the high-performer pattern seriously, without treating success as either the cause or the cure. One thing to be clear about ## shrinQ and shrinkMD are not the same thing. shrinQ is an educational program. It is not therapy and not treatment. shrinkMD is Dr. Refai's separate clinical practice, where care happens between real clinicians and real patients. shrinQ can point you toward professional care when that's the right step, and it tells you plainly when it is. But the two are separate, and the program never stands in for the care. ## Start where the program starts. Take the free self-check See how shrinQ works Keep going ## Related resources ## More on shrinQ - How the shrinQ system works - Try the free tools - Frequently asked questions ## From The Shrink Network - shrinkMD (clinical practice) - ShrinkNetwork.com - Dr. Shariq Refai ## Trusted references - Anxiety disorders (NIMH) Independent public-health resources, offered for background. shrinQ is not affiliated with them. --- # shrinQ FAQ: common questions about the program | shrinQ Source: https://shrinq.com/faq/ FAQ ## The real questions, answered plainly. ## Is this therapy? No. shrinQ is a self-guided educational program. Therapy is a relationship with a licensed clinician who knows your history and adjusts to you over time. shrinQ is structured education you work through on your own. It's built on principles used in psychiatric practice, but it isn't treatment, and buying it doesn't create a doctor-patient relationship. It can sit alongside therapy. It doesn't replace it. ## Is this right for me? shrinQ is built for everyday overthinking, anxiety, and mental noise. If that's the shape of your experience and you want a real structure rather than scattered advice, it's likely a good fit. If your symptoms are severe, getting worse, or interfering with your work, sleep, or relationships, a self-guided program isn't the right starting point. Phase 1 includes a checkpoint that helps you tell the difference, and points you toward an evaluation if that's what's needed. ## Will it work? It depends, and anyone who promises otherwise is selling something. shrinQ teaches you to read what your mind is doing and respond to it differently. For many people that makes the loud stretches shorter, less frequent, and less frightening over time. Some notice a shift quickly. For others it takes longer. For some, a self-guided program isn't enough on its own, and the program is honest about that throughout. Individual results vary, and no outcome is guaranteed. ## What if I need more than this? Then shrinQ will say so. The checkpoint in Phase 1, and notes throughout the program, help you recognize when everyday anxiety isn't the whole picture and when working with a clinician is the right move. Needing more than a program isn't a shortfall on your part. It's information, and it's common. ## How long does it take? There's no schedule. shrinQ has four phases. Plan for roughly a week or two in each, with Phase 1 usually taking longest because it's the foundation. You can move faster or slower. Because access is for life, you can work at the pace your life allows and return to any module whenever you want. ## What exactly do I get? The full program: four phases, eleven modules, the Module 0 self-assessment, and the checkpoint. Each module has a teaching section, one or two interactive exercises you do on the page, a takeaway line, and a progress marker. The shrinkMD Reset, the core framework, is one tap away throughout. You get lifetime access and free updates. A premium tier with audio companions is planned for later and isn't part of this purchase. ## What is the refund policy? There's a 14-day money-back guarantee. If within 14 days of buying shrinQ you decide it isn't right for you, write to support@shrinq.com and you'll get a full refund, with no explanation needed. The refund policy is also shown plainly at checkout, along with a reminder that shrinQ is educational and that results vary. ## Is my information private? Your email and account are used to run the program and, if you opt in, to send the follow-up series. We don't sell your information. The full detail is in the privacy policy, linked in the footer of every page. ## Who is Dr. Refai? Dr. Shariq Refai is a board-certified psychiatrist with dual board certification in psychiatry and in sports and performance psychiatry, more than fifteen years in practice, the founder of shrinkMD, and the author of the three books shrinQ is built from. There's more on the About page. ## Is this covered by insurance? No. shrinQ is an educational program, not a medical service, so it isn't billed to or covered by insurance. It's a one-time purchase. If you're looking for care that insurance may cover, that's a conversation for a clinician or your insurer. Still deciding? Start with the free self-check. It costs nothing and it's useful on its own. Ready for the full system? See the shrinQ Program . Take the free self-check Keep going ## Related resources ## More on shrinQ - How the shrinQ system works - The Pattern Library - About Dr. Refai - Medical disclaimer and scope ## From The Shrink Network - shrinkMD (clinical practice) - ShrinkNetwork.com ## Trusted references - Anxiety disorders (NIMH) - Anxiety (MedlinePlus) Independent public-health resources, offered for background. shrinQ is not affiliated with them. --- # Workplace mental health program for teams | shrinQ Source: https://shrinq.com/for-teams/ shrinQ for teams ## A resilience and burnout resource your people will actually use. Educational, low-liability mental health support for teams. Built by a board-certified psychiatrist. shrinQ is a self-paced program for overthinking, anxiety, and burnout, built by a board-certified psychiatrist. Companies can license it for their teams, so employees have something practical to turn to, privately, with no appointment and no waitlist. Enquire about team access Share this page Why it gets used ## Most wellbeing benefits get bought and barely opened. The hard part of a wellbeing benefit isn't buying it. It's getting people to use it. shrinQ is built to be used: short modules, real exercises, a calm and honest tone, and genuinely practical tools for the loud days. It's the same program sold to the public, built from a board-certified psychiatrist's three books, not a thin corporate edition. It includes a dedicated module on burnout, the pattern that most often shows up at work, and it sits alongside an Employee Assistance Program or clinical care rather than replacing either. Privacy ## What your employees do in shrinQ stays private. People won't use a mental-health resource if they think their employer is watching. So shrinQ is built the other way. The company funds access. It doesn't receive individual usage, progress, or assessment results, and it can't see who engaged and who didn't. At most, an employer sees a simple aggregate, like how many seats have been activated. The program belongs to the employee, privately. That's both the right thing to do and the reason the benefit actually gets used. What a seat includes ## The full program, for every person. Every seat is the complete shrinQ program: eleven modules across four phases, including the burnout module, a starting self-assessment, the checkpoint that helps a person recognize when something needs a clinician, the interactive exercises, the shrinkMD Reset, and lifetime access with free updates. There's no lesser employee version. Your people get the real thing. Who it's for ## Built for the people who carry a team. shrinQ for teams is for team leads, HR, people ops, and founders who want to support employee mental wellbeing without the liability of clinical care. If you're trying to give your people something genuinely useful for the loud days, without turning your company into a healthcare provider, this is built for you. It's the same structured program sold to the public, licensed for your team, so you can offer real support that stays squarely in the educational lane. It fits the moment when an employee is overthinking a decision, replaying a hard conversation, or running low on sleep before a deadline. Those are the everyday loops that quietly drain a team, and they're rarely a fit for therapy or an EAP. shrinQ gives people a practical, private place to turn that sits alongside the benefits you already offer rather than competing with them. What teams get ## What's included with a team license. - Group access to the shrinQ Program at a per-seat or organization tier - Optional facilitated cohort sessions - Manager guides on overthinking, rumination, and burnout signal recognition - Quarterly content updates - No PHI collected - No clinical monitoring If you want to see exactly how the method works before you bring it to your team, the how it works page walks through the experience step by step. Low-liability by design ## Why it's low-liability education, not treatment. shrinQ for teams is educational programming. It teaches frameworks for working with overthinking and stress. It doesn't diagnose, it doesn't treat, and it doesn't collect personal health information. That keeps the offering inside the educational lane and outside the regulatory complexity of clinical care. What it addresses ## The pattern problems it addresses. Most of what wears a team down isn't a single crisis. It's the recurring loops that quietly tax focus and energy. shrinQ teaches the underlying four-move pattern , and the Pattern Library maps the specific loops your people are most likely to recognize. - Burnout - Overwhelm - Rumination - Workplace anxiety - Performance pressure - Sleep impact - Decision fatigue Why I built a team version ## A note from the psychiatrist who built it. I'm Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, a board-certified psychiatrist, and I built shrinQ as an educational system, not medical care. Over the years I kept hearing the same thing from people who lead teams. They wanted to support their people, but they didn't want to take on the responsibility, the data, or the liability that comes with providing clinical care. That's a reasonable instinct, and it's exactly the gap a team license is meant to fill. My goal was to give a company something substantive to hand its people without pretending to be a treatment provider. The program teaches a structure for working with overthinking and stress. It stays educational on purpose. If someone needs therapy or psychiatric care, shrinQ points them toward it rather than standing in for it. You can see the reasoning behind the method on the how it works page, and the underlying framework on the system page. How rollout works ## Set up in days, not quarters. Most teams are live within one to two weeks of an agreement, and the onboarding is asynchronous, so it doesn't require a kickoff meeting or a dedicated project team. You buy seats, your people activate them, and they work through the program at their own pace. There's nothing to install and nothing for managers to administer day to day. Managers get guides on recognizing the signals of overthinking, rumination, and burnout, so they can point a struggling team member toward a useful resource without playing clinician. If you want a more guided experience, optional facilitated cohort sessions give a group a shared starting point and a common vocabulary for the patterns the program names. The content refreshes quarterly, so what your team sees stays current. Because the program collects no protected health information and does no clinical monitoring, there's very little for legal and compliance to review. The company funds access and sees aggregate engagement at most. It never sees an individual's usage, answers, or results. Pricing ## One-time, per seat, with volume pricing. shrinQ for teams is a one-time purchase per seat, not a subscription. Each seat gives one employee lifetime access. The per-seat price comes down with the size of the order, from the entry tier at a modest team size to custom pricing for large rollouts. The minimum order is five seats. Employees can also reach shrinQ on their own. If your company offers a learning or wellness stipend, shrinQ qualifies as a professional-development purchase, and an itemized receipt is provided for reimbursement. For team pricing, email teams@shrinq.com or use the inquiry form below. Ask for a quote Employer FAQ ## Questions from people ops and HR. ## Is this an EAP? No. shrinQ is structured educational programming. It supplements but doesn't replace an EAP. ## Do you collect employee health data? No. shrinQ for teams doesn't collect PHI. Aggregate engagement metrics are available; individual usage isn't shared with employers. ## What about HIPAA? shrinQ isn't a covered entity under HIPAA. It's educational programming, not clinical care. ## Can we deploy this alongside our existing benefits? Yes. shrinQ for teams sits alongside therapy benefits, EAPs, and meditation apps. It addresses the structural-pattern layer those services don't cover. ## How fast can we deploy? Most teams are live within one to two weeks of agreement. Onboarding is asynchronous. An honest note. shrinQ is an educational program that supports employee wellbeing. It is not therapy, not treatment, and not a clinical service, and it doesn't replace an Employee Assistance Program or professional care. It makes no promise of a specific reduction in absenteeism, claims, or cost. What it offers is a genuinely useful, evidence-based resource your people will engage with. If you or an employee is in crisis, in the US you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Read the full medical disclaimer . Share this page