It’s been said that intuition is knowing without knowing. If you’re familiar with the concept of intuition, you probably understand this logic perfectly. If you’ve never spent time thinking about it, then you might be a little confused.
Your intuition is your instinct. It knows things that your mind may not have had time to figure out yet, and it’s your way of understanding without relying on conscious reasoning. Sometimes we second-guess our gut reaction, but it’s important that we learn to trust it instead … here’s how.
Love yourself.
Trusting your intuition is all about having faith in yourself. That’s why this first step is critical: You must learn to love, honor, and respect yourself before you can ever expect to trust yourself. Self-love and acceptance are not an overnight process. It can take weeks, months, and even years to fully appreciate the things that make up who you are. Here are a few things that might help you on your journey:
- Celebrate your wins by writing them down.
- Exercise regularly and eat healthy.
- Don’t beat yourself up over the things you haven’t yet achieved.
- Write down 10 things you love about yourself (read this article for an example).
- Set boundaries and say “no” when you need to.
These things take practice, and you won’t do them perfectly every day (remember, it’s a journey). The important thing to keep in mind is that self-love takes work, patience, and the willingness to give yourself grace.
Energy doesn’t lie.
Tune into your energy. Who are you around when you feel your best? What are you doing when you feel absolutely drained? What activities are you doing when you’re happy? Your energy is spot on, and intuition plays a big part in it … if the vibes you’re getting from a person or situation are off, that’s probably because they are. Don’t second guess that. (This doesn’t mean that every situation that isn’t perfect should be disregarded … identify more of an overarching theme with this.)
Decide what’s worth your energy and think about the people in your life who are truly filling your cup. If you find yourself wiped out after every single conversation you have with a certain person, it’s probably time to ask yourself why. If you feel rejuvenated and excited about life after meeting up with a friend for coffee, keep that in mind. That’s your intuition trying to tell you something, so take note.
Distance yourself.
It’s hard to hear the soft voice of your intuition when you’re too close to an intense situation. But have you ever noticed that when you take some time to distance yourself from problems or big decisions, your perspective changes and the answers just seem to come to you? Boom … intuition.
When things start to get overwhelming, try taking a walk around the block or finding a quiet room to meditate. Taking some time for yourself to do your best thinking isn’t selfish and can lead you to ideas or discoveries you never would have made otherwise. It’s in these moments that you’ll hear your intuition the loudest.
Intuition vs. Giving Up
There is a huge difference between your intuition guiding you away from a situation that’s not meant for you and your mind telling you just give up when things start to get tough, to save your pride or self-esteem. Your ego is your survival instinct, your intuition stems from your soul. Read this article for five ways to tell the difference.
Your intuition can serve as an incredible guide for your life if you learn to trust it, so start paying attention! Realize that most of the time your heart and soul know the answer long before your sense of reason has the time to catch up, so always go with your gut instinct. As poet Rumi once said, “There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.”
Time to up your confidence? Read our post for five habits to adopt now!
