What to Do When You’re Spiraling: A Business Owner’s Guide to Overthinking
Oct 29, 2025
Where self-awareness meets sustainable strategy… with a little AI support on the side.
The Drop-Off Spiral (A Real Story)
It started with a half-toasted English muffin and a side of sibling bickering. School drop-off ran late - again… and as I walked home (unshowered, un-caffeinated, and already behind), I opened AirTable on my phone to double-check a post I’d created the day before.
Within 30 seconds, I had rewritten half the caption in my head. By minute two, I was comparing the aesthetic to three other creators I admire. By minute three? I was wondering whether my entire brand presence was… cringey.
Cue the spiral.
That familiar, chest-tightening overthinking loop where every decision feels like it could be the one that ruins everything. You know the one: “Why isn’t this post performing?” “Should I niche down? Broaden out? Burn it all down?” “Maybe I should just be quieter… post less… disappear for a while.”
Sound familiar? Girl, same.
Spiraling Isn’t a Symptom of Failure—It’s a Signal for Support
The spiral doesn’t mean you’re bad at business.
It usually means:
- You’re overloaded and don’t have systems to catch the mental overflow.
- You’re deeply invested and your identity is wrapped up in your outcomes.
- You care. A lot. And that care has nowhere to land when you’re tired, stretched thin, or navigating decision fatigue.
While mindset work can help, spiraling is not just a mindset problem. It’s a systems and scaffolding problem.
The “Fix” Isn’t in the Feels; It’s in the Framework
What finally helped me get off the hamster wheel of overthinking wasn’t another motivational quote or deep breath (though those helped). It was structure.
A messaging map that let me zoom out and reconnect to my big picture. A task system that caught my ideas before they exploded into chaos. A rhythm for visibility that didn’t rely on last-minute pressure.
And yes, AI helped too.
When AI Becomes Your Business Therapist (Almost)
I know, I know. AI isn’t a therapist… but when used effectively, it is a highly effective thought partner.
When I’m spiraling, I open ChatGPT and brain-dump everything I’m worried about. I ask it to sort my thoughts into themes. I let it organize my content calendar, declutter my to-do list, or remind me of past wins. I even use it to draft sourdough recipes when my apron and ‘starving’ kids convince me that I'm the next Martha Stewart with each new batch of homemade pancakes 😅.
AI isn’t just about automations or shortcuts, it’s about clarity. It helps me move from “I’m failing” to “Here’s the next right thing.”
The most important thing to remember about using AI is that it's only truly helpful when you know how to use it well. Otherwise, it can amplify your spiral. (Which is why inside my signature program, I teach my clients exactly how to use AI to support *not sabotage* their brains.)
Check out this reel I made a while ago during one of my own spirals to see the real clarifying impact of AI thinking partner support.
My Clients Come to Me When the Spiral Starts Looking Like the Whole Strategy
If you're anything like the incredible entrepreneurs I work with, you’re not lazy, flaky, or uncommitted.
You’re:
A deep thinker with a lot to say… but your message keeps getting muddled.
A multi-passionate rebel who wants your business to reflect who you actually are.
A capable leader with big goals, but your marketing feels like a swirl of shoulds, maybes, and what-ifs.
That’s where I come in.
Inside the Six-Figure Marketing Confidence Program, we build:
- A clear, values-aligned brand foundation rooted in your voice.
- A flexible visibility system that plays well with your energy, brain, and life.
- A supportive structure that lets you scale without spiraling.
And yes, we use AI in smart, supportive, customized ways that actually feel like you.
You’re Allowed to Want Support. Especially When You Care This Much.
The spiral doesn’t disqualify you from success. If anything? It means you’re the exact kind of person who’s ready to build something better.
So if you’re in a season of overthinking, second-guessing, and craving clarity? Let’s talk.
📩 Or DM me “Overthinking” if you want to vent before you commit. No pressure.
You don’t have to do this alone.
You just have to start.
🔀 Follow Shauna Van Mourik – I’m sometimes funny, mostly endearing, and always thinking up new ways to make the world a better place.
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