# shrinQ

> 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 is regenerated from the site's own page data on every publish, so it stays current as pages change.

shrinQ teaches why the mind gets loud and gives people structured tools to interrupt rumination and mental spirals. The paid program is a step-by-step system, and the free tools are short, practical exercises anyone can use without an account.

shrinQ is education, not therapy, diagnosis, treatment, crisis care, or medical advice, and using it does not create a doctor-patient relationship. shrinkMD is Dr. Refai's separate clinical practice. shrinQ is one of several independent mental health properties under The Shrink Network. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the US to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 for emergencies.

## Start here

- [shrinQ | Patterns. Understood.](https://shrinq.com/): A structured educational system for overthinking, rumination, anxiety loops, and patterns that keep people stuck. Part of The Shrink Network.
- [Start here: find your pattern | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/start-here/): Tell us what brought you here and we'll point you to the right starting point: a free tool, the Pattern Library, or the full shrinQ Program.
- [A structured system for overthinking and anxiety | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/system/): A structured way through overthinking and anxiety: four phases, eleven modules, and the shrinkMD Reset. Built by a board-certified psychiatrist.
- [How shrinQ works: a structured educational system, not therapy | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/how-it-works/): How shrinQ works: a structured educational system for overthinking, rumination, and anxiety loops, built on the four-move pattern. Educational, not therapy.
- [The shrinQ Program: A Structured Educational System for Overthinking | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/program/): A structured educational system for overthinking, rumination, and the patterns that keep people stuck. Built by a board-certified psychiatrist. Not therapy.
- [Free anxiety and overthinking tools, no signup | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/): Ten free, no-signup tools for overthinking, anxiety, and panic, including self-checks, guided breathing, grounding, and short resets you can use anytime.
- [Dr. Shariq Refai, board-certified psychiatrist | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/about/): Dr. Shariq Refai is a board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of shrinkMD. Meet the psychiatrist behind shrinQ and the three books it is built from.
- [Workplace mental health program for teams | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/for-teams/): License shrinQ for your team: a self-paced program for overthinking, anxiety, and burnout, built by a psychiatrist. Private to each employee.
- [shrinQ FAQ: common questions about the program | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/faq/): Clear answers to common questions about shrinQ: what it is and isn't, how the program and free tools work, refunds, privacy, and medical scope.

## The Pattern Library

- [The Pattern Library: the loops behind overthinking | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/patterns/): Overthinking, rumination, panic, and avoidance run on patterns. The Pattern Library catalogs the loops we see most, and what to do about each one.
- [The Reassurance Loop | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/reassurance-loop/): The reassurance loop: why asking the same question brings relief that shrinks, and how to work with it using the four-move pattern. Educational, not therapy.
- [The Rumination Loop | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/rumination-loop/): The rumination loop: why replaying the same worry feels productive but never decides anything, and how to work with it using the four-move pattern.
- [The Avoidance Loop | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/avoidance-loop/): The avoidance loop: why dodging a task drops anxiety briefly and trains you to avoid more, and how to work with it using the four-move pattern.
- [The Nighttime Loop | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/nighttime-loop/): The nighttime loop: why the mind reactivates the moment you lie down and anxiety about sleep makes it harder, and how to work with it in four moves.
- [The Perfectionism Loop | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/perfectionism-loop/): The perfectionism loop: why the standard rises every time you hit it until finishing and starting both stall, and how to work with it in four moves.
- [The Procrastination Loop | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/procrastination-loop/): The procrastination loop: why putting a task off feels relieving while the cost quietly builds, and how to work with it using the four-move pattern.

## Free tools

- [Overthinking self-check: free 2-minute test | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/self-check/): A free, two-minute overthinking self-check. It won't diagnose anything, but it shows you the shape of your own pattern and the first move to make.
- [Rumination check: are you thinking or looping? | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/rumination-check/): Thinking something through and looping on it can feel identical from the inside. This free, one-minute check shows you which one you're actually doing.
- [Thought-spiral worksheet for anxious overthinking | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/thought-spiral-worksheet/): A free one-page worksheet for the middle of a thought spiral. Five steps, in order, to work through anxious overthinking while it is running.
- [How to stop a panic attack: 60-second reset | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/panic-reset-guide/): A short, practical guide for a panic wave: the 60-second reset to calm your body, and what to do if even that feels like too much. Free, no signup.
- [Five-minute reset for anxiety, stress, overwhelm | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/five-minute-reset/): A free, written five-minute reset you can follow step by step. It changes the direction your nervous system is heading, just enough to keep going.
- [Breathing pacer: paced breathing for anxiety | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/breathing-pacer/): A free, guided breathing pacer with a longer exhale. Follow the circle for two minutes and let your nervous system settle when anxiety spikes.
- [Grounding exercise for anxiety: five senses | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/grounding/): A free, interactive grounding exercise that walks you through your five senses, to pull attention out of your head and back into the room around you.
- [Can't sleep from overthinking? Wind-down routine | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/sleep-wind-down/): A free, practical wind-down routine for the last hour before bed, built for a mind that gets loud the moment you lie down. Grounded in sleep science.
- [First-step finder: stop procrastinating on a task | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/first-step-finder/): For the task you keep meaning to do and keep not doing. This free tool shrinks it down until there is a first step small enough to actually take.
- [Short reads on anxiety, overthinking, rumination | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/free-tools/short-reads/): A free, growing library of short, plain-language explainers on how anxiety, overthinking, and rumination actually work, and what genuinely helps.
- [Free printable worksheets, trackers, and reference cards (PDF) | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/downloads/): Eight free, printable PDF downloads from shrinQ: the Overthinking Workbook, the Four Moves reference card, worksheets for spirals and decisions, a values exercise, a life audit, a habit tracker, and a weekly reflection page. No signup.

## Editorial standards

- [Medical review board | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/medical-review-board/): The people and process behind medical review at shrinQ, the credentials we rely on, what triggers a re-review, and how readers can request one.
- [Evidence methodology | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/evidence-methodology/): How shrinQ content is developed, the evidence tiers we use to grade claims, the source types we prioritize, and how content is reviewed and updated.
- [AI use policy | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/ai-use/): What shrinQ uses AI-assisted tools for, what it never uses them for, and the human editorial review behind every AI-touched page.
- [Corrections policy | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/corrections/): How shrinQ handles errors: correction versus clarification, how to submit a request, our typical turnaround, and where the public correction log lives.
- [Relationships and financial disclosure | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/disclosures/): Who owns shrinQ, its financial relationships, why it's a commercial educational product, and the editorial firewall that keeps content independent.

## Policies and legal

- [Medical disclaimer | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/medical-disclaimer/): What shrinQ is and isn't, scope and limitations, when to seek professional care, and crisis resources.
- [Terms of purchase | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/terms/): Terms of purchase for shrinQ, including access, refund policy, and the educational nature of the program.
- [Privacy policy | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/privacy/): What information shrinQ collects, how it is used and shared, cookies, analytics (Plausible and Google Analytics), consent choices, retention, and your rights.
- [Accessibility | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/accessibility/): shrinQ is committed to meeting WCAG 2.2 level AA. Read our accessibility statement and contact us if you encounter a barrier.
- [International readers | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/international/): shrinQ content is general, US-based education. Laws, care standards, and crisis resources vary by country.
- [Community guidelines | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/community-guidelines/): Our community principles, the content that's prohibited, the enforcement actions we take, how to appeal, and how to report a safety concern.
- [User content terms | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/user-content/): What happens to content you submit to shrinQ, the limited license you grant, and your responsibilities.

## More

- [Why you keep falling into old patterns | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/why-you-keep-falling-into-old-patterns/): Old patterns win under stress because the brain defaults to what it has practiced. Why willpower loses, where the cue gives you leverage, and what makes change actually hold.
- [Why you make yourself small, and how to stop | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/why-you-make-yourself-small/): Making yourself small looks like humility but runs on anxiety. Where self-silencing comes from, what it actually costs, and how to take up room again in small reps.
- [The Doomscrolling Loop | shrinQ Pattern Library](https://shrinq.com/patterns/doomscrolling-loop/): The doomscrolling loop: why endless scrolling feels like it will settle you but keeps your attention hooked, and how to work with it using the four-move pattern.
- [Verified: independent registries and standards | shrinQ](https://shrinq.com/verified/): Independent verification for shrinQ: ORCID, Wikidata, NPI Registry, editorial standards, evidence methodology, corrections policy, and machine-readable files.

## The Shrink Network

shrinQ is one of several independent mental health properties in The Shrink Network. Each site owns a different role in a shared concept graph, and cross-site links carry the concept IDs published in the concept graph above.

- [The Shrink Network](https://shrinknetwork.com): the network hub and directory of sites
- [Shrinktionary](https://shrinktionary.com): plain-language dictionary of psychiatric terms; the canonical concept IDs
- [Shrinkopedia](https://shrinkopedia.com): long-form explainers of mental health concepts
- [AnxietyResource](https://anxietyresource.org): education on anxiety and its conditions
- [DepressionResource](https://depressionresource.org): education on depression and its conditions
- [AnxietyResearch](https://anxietyresearch.org): the evidence base behind anxiety treatment
- [PsychiatryRx](https://psychiatryrx.org): plain-language guides to psychiatric medications
- [ShrinkDaily](https://shrinkdaily.com): a daily concept from the shared graph
- [Unstuck](https://beunstuck.app): a tool for getting unstuck from avoidance
- [QuitScrolling](https://quitscrolling.app): a tool for breaking the doomscrolling habit
- [shrinkiatry](https://shrinkiatry.com): the profession of psychiatry, explained
- [shrinkMD](https://shrinkmd.com): Dr. Refai's clinical practice
- [Shariq Refai, MD](https://shariqrefai.com): the psychiatrist behind the network

## Machine-readable

- [Concept graph](https://shrinq.com/concepts.json): this site's pages mapped to shared Shrink Network concept IDs
- [Sitemap](https://shrinq.com/sitemap.xml)