DO YOU USE YOUR INTUITION, YOUR GUT FEELING?
It is acceptable to say “listen to your gut feeling.” The interesting part is understanding where the gut feeling comes from. Some also refer to it as intuition.
Intuition is the inner sense that guides us and gives us a feeling of what is right or wrong, even if it cannot always be logically explained.
It functions as a useful source of insight and guidance in our daily lives, helping us recognize patterns, anticipate problems, and understand other people and situations better.
Listening to your intuition is important, especially when we face decisions or interact with others, as we don’t always have all the information or the time to think thoroughly about a situation.
This is where our intuition steps in and allows us to make quick decisions based on our instinct or gut feeling.
CAN INTUITION BE EXPLAINED RATIONALLY?
In a more scientific way, part of the understanding of intuition can be seen as a complex cognitive thought process, where our brain draws on past experiences and patterns to make quick decisions.
It is also connected to quick signals from our senses and emotions, which our consciousness cannot always explain rationally.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT – LISTENING INWARD
We have come to a point where the business world is beginning to recognize that intuition is just as powerful as intelligence because it helps us make the right choices.
However, intuition often has limited space in our society due to the demands and expectations placed on us.
We are expected to always be “on,” available, keep up, participate online and in various events, gatherings, meetings, and so on.
When one’s system is stressed, it leads to anxiety. Anxiety muddles your intuition, making it difficult to discern whether it’s anxiety speaking or if you can trust your gut feeling.
Giving yourself time, space, and peace to ground yourself and listen to your gut feeling allows for personal growth. It helps you become better at prioritizing and enables you to see new, positive paths and solutions in your situation.
This is what I refer to as listening inward—to the natural intelligence that resides within you.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BRAIN WHEN YOU LISTEN INWARD?
When you are able to listen inward, you initiate tangible processes in your body and brain: Different levels of brainwave frequencies have different names.
The creative level is called Alpha and has a brainwave frequency ranging from 7 to 14 Hertz.
The Alpha state occurs when you relax, take deep breaths, and close your eyes.
It occurs just before falling asleep, during dreaming, visualizing mental images, or engaging in imaginative thinking.
Your brain also produces Alpha waves when you close your eyes and visualize—when you imagine yourself hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. Albert Einstein knew it and used the method before science documented its effectiveness.
Today, we predominantly call it visualization and mental training. It goes by many names.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what we call it—if what you read here resonates with you, you are on the right track.
HOW DOES INTUITION HELP?
Intuition functions as a guide, helping us, among other things, understand others and read the signals they send.
Without this guidance, we risk missing important signs of others’ emotions or intentions, which can create distance and confusion in our relationships.
Therefore, it is important to listen to our intuition and use it as a resource to navigate our interactions with others.
Using your intuition optimally requires practice. I can help you with that:
Intuition training is indeed a personal development process. Just as important as it is to be able to use intuition, it is equally important to be able to combine it with logical thinking and data, especially in professional decision-making situations.
The untrained intuition is often colored by one’s personal experiences and background, so it is important to understand how these factors influence intuitive insights.
Intuition training can improve decision-making, creativity, and self-awareness, making it useful both in private life and at work.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LEARN TO USE YOUR INTUITION?
When you start to follow your intuition more, it can cause both physical reactions and anxious thoughts.
Why?
Because intuition and anxiety can feel similar, making it difficult to distinguish between the two without help:
- Both can create uncertainty: When faced with a decision or situation where you need to rely on your intuition, uncertainty or doubt can arise. Anxiety often occurs in situations that are uncertain or unfamiliar, which can confuse your sense of intuition.
- Both can cause physical reactions: Both intuition and anxiety can trigger physical reactions such as a faster heart rate, sweating, stomach aches, and tense muscles. These physical signs can be similar in both cases.