How to Trust Yourself More
Your intuition is more powerful than you think. In a world that often encourages logic over gut instinct, learning to trust your intuition can be a transformative tool for clarity, confidence, and inner peace. Whether you call it a gut feeling, inner knowing, or a quiet nudge, this post explores the power of intuition—and how to start listening to your inner voice in everyday life.
Intuition- we’ve heard it called many things:
A gut feeling, an inner knowing, a sixth sense, instincts, mother’s intuition
We’ve all heard the words, and many of us have even experienced the feelings, but what exactly is intuition, and why is it important?
I’ve always been fascinated by intuition—probably because, for the longest time, I felt like I didn’t have it. I desperately wanted to, though. I’d hear people talk about “gut feelings” or how they “just knew,” and I wondered why that never seemed to happen for me. I set out on a journey to discover my intuition by taking classes, reading books, and doing a lot of self-reflection.
Today, I want to share what I have discovered about intuition – what it is, why it is important, how to discover it, and why learning to trust yourself leads to greater confidence and ease in your everyday life.
What is intuition
Before we can talk about what intuition is, we first need to clarify what it isn’t– discovering your intuition has nothing to do with psychic abilities or ouija boards, or anything like that.
Intuition is simply a feeling- it is knowing or understanding something without knowing why or how. For example, maybe your phone dings and you know who is on the other end before picking it up. Or, you had a feeling you were going to get a call from the school nurse that your kid is sick, and sure enough, you did. That is intuition.
So, what is the difference between intuition and logic?
Gut Feelings (Intuition): A quick, instinctive sense of knowing without conscious reasoning. It often feels like an inner nudge, a deep certainty, or a physical sensation (like a flutter in your stomach or a sense of ease or discomfort). Intuition is based on subconscious processing of past experiences, patterns, and emotions.
Logical Reasoning: A deliberate, step-by-step process of analyzing facts, evidence, and possible outcomes before making a decision. It relies on rational thought, data, and objective analysis rather than instinct or feelings.
Why do we struggle to trust ourselves or our intuition?
Our brains are like little professors, always wanting facts and data, so anytime your gut sends a message to your brain, your brain’s instinct is to look for the proof. Since intuition is just a feeling, the brain often wants to dismiss it. A lot of us have been taught to ignore our gut feelings, like they’re not “real” or don’t count. On top of that, the fear of being wrong or making a mistake makes us doubt ourselves even more. And if that wasn’t enough, we tend to overthink everything, second-guessing ourselves until we’re totally unsure of what to do.
Strengthening Your Intuition & Trusting Yourself More
Learning to tune into your gut instincts and trust them doesn’t happen overnight—it takes practice. Here are some exercises to help you strengthen that inner knowing.
- Get to know how it ‘speaks’: Your intuition might come to you as a feeling, like butterflies or an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach. Or, it may come to you as a quick thought or whisper. Pay attention to these little nudges. Learn where you feel them in your body, how they sound, how they feel.
- Meditation: Our intuition speaks to us all the time- the problem is, most of us are too busy to listen. Spending time in meditation, even listening to a guided meditation, is a way to practice quieting your mind and allowing your intuition to finally get her day in the sun! Turn off the noise in your brain and let your intuition take control.
- Automatic writing: If you are struggling with a decision, sit in quiet and ask yourself the question. Then, start writing. Don’t think, just write. Write your thoughts and feelings without even thinking about them. Don’t worry about your handwriting or spelling or anything like that- just let your pen and paper do the work. When you have nothing left to write then read through what you wrote. You may be surprised to find the answers ‘magically’ appear on the page.
- Draw: if writing isn’t your thing, do the same exercise but with drawing and doodling. Again, don’t worry about the technique, just draw and see what develops!
- Journal: This is similar to automatic writing, but instead of asking a question, give yourself a journal prompt. You can find one online or just ask yourself ‘what does my intuition want me to know right now?” Then, start writing. Remember, do this without judgment.
- Observe your body & emotions: most of us go through the day without really paying attention to the signals our body is sending us. We ‘push through’ because that is how we are supposed to do it. Take time to really feel your body- what is it telling you? Are you feeling tension, stress, strong emotions, or maybe even physical ailments? Your body knows what you need, just listen to it.
- Put down the phone: Again, we have so much noise throughout or lives, that even if your intuition was screaming at you (which it doesn’t) would you even hear it? Put the phone down, sit quietly, go for a walk without headphones. Learn to BE in the moment and learn to be quiet. You can’t tune into a voice that’s always being drowned out.
- Practice: find small decisions throughout your day and see what you ‘hear’. Wondering where to park? Ask your intuition and then follow it and see what happens. Get a dong on your phone? Ask your intuition who it is and see if you’re right.
- Drop the fear: one of the most important lessons I have learned about intuition is that it is NOT fear-based. Intuition is a small, still voice. It comes to you quietly and calmly. It is not fear or scary. It is not urgent, overwhelming, and it does not come with anxiety or worry. If you are feeling these things, you know it is coming from your head and not your gut. Learning to recognize the difference is another part of the skill.
Something important to remember– intuition is a skill like any other– some people can pick it up more easily and naturally than others. For some of us, it takes more time and practice. Remember, the goal is to start recognizing where you hear your intuition and then follow it. You might not nail it right away, but don’t give up. And, do not judge yourself…this isn’t how most of us were raised, and this isn’t a skill that society often values. Check your limiting beliefs at the door and learn to trust yourself. Self-trust is one of the most powerful gifts we can give ourselves.
