Intuition is a powerful resource that lives inside us all. Have you ever gotten a gut feeling that you just… know something? You don’t know how or why but you just know. Your inner instincts have kicked in and told you not to go that route or to attend that event. Later on, you find out that it was for good reason.
Have you ever had a hunch about something or someone and been right? Have you noticed that when you listen to your gut instincts, things tend to work out favourably for you? Intuition is a powerful tool that all humans have access to, even if you don’t consider yourself to be particularly spiritual.
Like your muscles, you can strengthen your intuition to guide you in the right direction. From something simple like which route to take to work. Or bigger things like when or how you should finally start that business venture. Today we’ll go over what intuition is exactly and how to access it, so that you can make the best choices for you, during your day-to-day life.
Intuitive Research-
Intuition, up until recently has been tough to research, as scientists were unaware of how it could be measured. A recent study of 20 college students showed the students images of black and white dots moving on one half of a computer screen.
The students were shown a bright, quickly flashing, colourful square on the other half of the screen. The square was embedded with pictures designed to elicit an emotional reaction.
Positive images such as babies or puppies and negative images like snakes or weapons were shown. They flashed too quickly for the naked eye to perceive. When the students were shown positive images, they responded quickly and made more confident choices. The study also showed that the students became more comfortable using their intuition over time. Studies on the validity of intuition should hopefully become more available in the future.
Intuition is your body recognizing patterns in a certain person, place, or thing and instantly choosing whether it’s a red or green light. While some people prefer to use the logical side of their brain and analyze their way to making decisions, sometimes there’s no time for that and you need to garner a quick response.
Anxiety Or Intuition-
Since the world has become more open about mental health struggles, anxiety seems to plague a high number of individuals. With easy access to news, conspiracies, and differing opinions on our phones 24/7, anxiety is hard to escape. How does one differentiate between your intuition and anxiety when everything you see can send you straight into panic mode?
A good quote to remember is “Anxiety screams, intuition is neutral.” Anxiety wants you to feel on edge. That’s why simple tasks like ordering takeout or seeing an acquaintance out in public can make someone who suffers from anxiety start to sweat.
Our flight or fight mode is there for good reason but it’s not healthy to live in a constant state of fight. Cortisol (the stress hormone) is released during that state and can cause illness and disease when your body receives too much.
Your intuition doesn’t take it personally if you do or don’t listen to it. While your anxiety is going to make sure its voice is heard. When you get that subtle nudge to go one way or the other, that’s most likely your intuition. When your brain and body are screaming that the world is on fire, that’s most likely your anxiety. It can be tough at first to differentiate the two. That’s why practicing tools for calming your anxiety can be super helpful for better accessing your intuitive voice.
(If you suffer from severe anxiety, consult with your medical practitioner or psychiatrist. If you need more help than at-home methods can provide, please seek out extra support).
Meditation-
Meditation is one of the most important components of fostering a spiritual practice. Quieting your body and mind is so beneficial for lessening anxiety and strengthening your intuition. It can be hard to hear what your intuition is telling you when you have a noisy brain.
By meditating, you practice letting thoughts come and go as they please, without them holding any weight over you. The more you practice the easier it becomes.
There are several ways to meditate so use what method works best for you. Whether you need to sit up straight, lie down, listen to music, be in complete silence, or use a guided meditation. Do whatever makes you the most comfortable so that you’ll stick with the practice. Click here to access some fantastic guided meditations to follow along with.
Creative Intuition-
Even if you’re not artistic, tap into your creative potential by drawing, painting, knitting, or playing an instrument. These activities tend to quiet our minds and tap us into our flow state.
Your intuition is much easier to access when you’re in your flow state. Pick one creative activity to cultivate and spend a couple of hours a week on it. Not only will you hopefully pick up a new creative hobby but you’ll also get better at said hobby.
Journal-
Start or end your day with free-flow writing. Don’t go in with a specific topic you want to write about but write whatever comes to mind in that moment. Aim to spend around 10, 15, or 20 minutes a day or a few times a week to see what comes up for you.
This allows your gut to guide the way instead of your mind, which is typically filled with clutter or information we don’t want or need. Doing a brain dump will help you to get your thoughts on paper, leaving you with more headspace during your day.
Intuition Guessing Game-
When you first meet someone, a co-worker, your best friend’s new boyfriend, or anyone else, write down any underlying energy you get from them. Don’t try to use your logical brain either but what does your body tell you?
When you first meet someone, they might put on a pleasant façade or they might come across as rude and cold but are slower to warm and open up. See if, after a few months, your first hunches about them were correct or incorrect.
You can also use simple methods like sports games on TV. Use your gut to predict which team will win. This is recommended when you don’t care about either team or haven’t bet any money.
Intuitive Nature-
Do you notice that your mind feels clearer when you’re on a beach, atop a mountain, or out in the woods? If you live in a city, it can be harder to connect with your intuition if there’s so much going on around you.
If possible, try to spend a weekend out in the woods or go on a nature hike. When you connect with Mother Earth, you’ll be able to more easily receive flashes of insights that you need to know. You’ll be able to think more clearly and tap into your inner knowing.
Tech Cleanse-
It’s nearly impossible to listen to yourself when you’re bombarded online with opinions, diet plans, paid advertisements, etc. We’re so consumed with what everyone else is doing online that we forget about what’s true and good for us.
Going on a daily, weekly, or monthly tech cleanse will leave you feeling much lighter, and happier and will help you to form your own thoughts, values, and opinions.
Understandably, some people’s jobs are social media, so a complete cleanse isn’t possible. Aim to be a tech-free zone as soon as you’re done with your work for a couple of hours a day or right before bed. Whatever you can manage will have you seeing positive results.
Tarot Cards-
If you feel comfortable, start practicing with tarot cards. Set an intention or have a specific set of questions to ask the deck. Learn the meanings of the cards while also using your intuition to interpret what the cards are trying to tell you.
Look at the pictures and see what the symbols on the cards represent for you. Learning the tarot deck can be a bit intimidating since there are 78 cards but with practice, they’ll become easier to interpret.
Conclusion-
Like any other muscle in your body, your intuition can be strengthened. This way you can use it to help guide you through your days. Things like meditation, creative pursuits, going out in nature, doing technology cleanses, and learning to differentiate between anxiety and intuition can help you on your intuitive path.
Keep an intuitive journal to see how your intuition is showing up for you on your journey to becoming a more intuitive person. This isn’t to say you can’t ever use logical and analytic reasoning to help you make decisions. Use them in conjunction to have more confidence in the way you make decisions and know that you’re making the best decisions for you. Use these tools mentioned above to get your intuitive guidance effortlessly flowing.
