Today, I want to talk about acupuncture points for anxiety, worry and overthinking in TCM.

Let me ask you something I ask my students and patients all the time: Are you someone who has anxiety, or worries a lot or tends to overthink everything? If the answer is yes — welcome to the club, my friend. You’re not alone.

I was practically born worrying.

As a kid growing up with a single mom who worked long hours, I learned responsibility early — including how to cook on a gas stove. After every meal, I’d obsess: Did I turn the gas off? I’d sit in class thinking about it for hours. That low-grade panic? It became part of my nervous system.

This is where my own dance with anxiety and overthinking began, long before I ever heard of the Spleen, Earth element, or Kidney Qi.

As acupuncturists and students of Chinese medicine, we often talk about treating emotional imbalances in our patients. But how often do we recognize those same patterns in ourselves?

Today, I want to explore the clinical and personal sides of worry and overthinking. We’ll look at how Chinese medicine views these emotional states, how they differ from anxiety, what patterns show up most often, and how acupuncture, herbs, and lifestyle support can help calm the mind. And yes, I’ll also share some personal stories — because let’s face it, we’ve all been there.

Whether you’re an acupuncturist, a student of TCM, or simply looking for holistic solutions, this video will give you a comprehensive look at how Chinese medicine can support people living with worry and overthinking. Let’s go!

Clara
TCM Geek

Links mentioned in this video:

🤓 TCM Diagnosis Made Easy Masterclass

😢 Grief and Sadness video

🔥 5 Archetypes video

📘 Chinese Medicine Treatments Made Easy Book/PDF

Acupuncture Points for Anxiety, Worry & Overthinking in TCM

Worry, Overthinking, and Anxiety: Clinical Distinctions

Let’s break this down from a practitioner’s lens.

• Worry tends to be specific. It’s often tied to a particular concern, and it can lead to action.

• Overthinking is repetitive, and circular, and can paralyze decision-making. Think of patients who come in with brain fog or mental exhaustion from “thinking too much.”

• Anxiety is a broader state that includes emotional and physical symptoms — heart palpitations, shallow breathing, digestive upset, and restlessness.

From a TCM perspective, these emotional states are rooted in different organ systems and create unique patterns — which is why differential diagnosis is so important.

Spleen, Stomach, and the Burden of Thought

In Chinese medicine, overthinking and worry are associated with the Spleen and Stomach, the organs of the Earth element. When Earth is out of balance, we see:

• Rumination and obsessive thoughts

• Brain fog or lack of clarity

• Poor appetite, bloating, loose stools

• Fatigue and lack of motivation

• Dampness accumulation (hello, heaviness and phlegm)

Chronically depleting the Spleen eventually weakens the Kidneys, particularly Kidney Yin and Essence, leading to signs of premature aging, adrenal exhaustion, and burnout — patterns we’re seeing more and more in clinic.

Western Medicine: Gut-Brain Axis Confirms TCM Theory

We don’t need to choose between East and West here. Western research is catching up fast.

The gut-brain connection shows how microbiome health affects emotional well-being. A compromised gut can lead to increased inflammation, disrupted neurotransmitter production, and mood imbalances. TCM has always said: treat digestion to treat the mind. Now science agrees.

We know acupuncture regulates the nervous system, but here’s the why:

It stimulates the vagus nerve, which plays a central role in parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) tone. This impacts everything from heart rate variability to digestion to emotional regulation.

When we needle points like Yin Tang, Heart 7, Spleen 6, Pericardium 6, or Kidney 3, we’re doing more than calming the Shen — we’re restoring physiological balance between brain, gut, and Heart.

TCM Patterns to Watch For

In clinical practice, these are the patterns I most commonly see related to worry and overthinking:

• Spleen Qi Deficiency

  • Mental fatigue, overthinking, poor memory, and digestive issues

  • Pale tongue, weak pulse

  • Rx: ST36, SP6, DU20, Ren12; Gui Pi Tang

• Liver Qi Stagnation with Spleen Deficiency

  • Irritability, digestive issues worsened with stress, PMS

  • Wiry + weak pulse, scalloped tongue

  • Rx: LV3, LI4, ST36, SP6, Ren6; Xiao Yao San

• Heart and Spleen Deficiency

  • Palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, and dream-disturbed sleep

  • Pale tongue, thin pulse

  • Rx: HT7, SP6, PC6, UB15, UB20; Gui Pi Tang

• Kidney Yin Deficiency

• Anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, night sweats, overwork

• Red tongue with scanty coat, thin, rapid pulse

• Rx: KD3, KD6, HT7, UB23, SP6; Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan

A Story on Intuition (and Letting Go)

One of my earliest life lessons in intuition came when I gave away my mother’s rent money as a child. I saw someone in need, and without thinking, handed it over. (Yes, I got in trouble!)

But what amazed me was what happened after: someone else offered to help us, and things worked out.

That moment stayed with me. It taught me that when we act from the heart — not from fear — the universe responds. That’s something we often forget as practitioners: sometimes what our patients need most isn’t logic, but trust in themselves and their own healing process.

Bringing It Back to Your Practice

As acupuncturists and students, it’s easy to get caught in our heads. Clinical decision-making, business worries, academic pressure — it all builds up. But Chinese medicine offers us tools not just for our patients, but for ourselves.

We can calm the overthinking mind with:

• Daily practices: Qi Gong, mindful eating, quiet walks in nature

• Herbs and acupuncture: Even a few needles can change your whole internal state

• Perspective: Not every thought deserves your attention

Final Thoughts

Worry and overthinking may be part of our human experience — especially in this modern, fast-paced world — but they don’t have to run the show.

Chinese medicine and acupuncture for anxiety give us a profound lens to understand and treat emotional stress, both in ourselves and our patients. When we recognize the patterns and apply the right tools, we can bring clarity, calm, and confidence back into the picture.

So whether you’re still in school or you’ve been in practice for decades — keep learning, keep healing, and above all…keep rocking it with TCM!