Is it Anxiety or Intuition?

The practice of distinguishing between these two voices.

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Anxiety likes to lie

The anxious voice can be very convincing. This fear-based friend is constantly spewing the worst-case scenarios, most of which don’t actually come true. The anxious voice is actually kind of liar… yet the mind & body can be quick to believe it whole-heartedly.

A question that often comes up in sessions is, how do I know when the thought is actually true?

While it may feel like this fearful voice is out to get you, it’s actually trying to protect you. The brain is hardwired to keep us safe. This is true for all of us. If you’ve experienced trauma and/or had a stressful, unpredictable childhood, the brain especially learned to be hyper-vigilant, to pick up on subtleties in the environment, to prepare for the worst-case scenario - because what if actually happens this time?

This fearful voice often does keep us safe, and has kept us safe many times before. But the tricky part about the brain is that it doesn’t really know when to shut the fear off. If the body is used to being in stress, that state of stress feels comfortable and safe.

This is where the importance of awareness comes in. When we’re able to have conscious awareness of our inner chatter and reactions, we’re able to witness the fear and ask: am I actually safe right now? Is this fear related to my current reality or to my past experiences?

We can’t think our way out of more thoughts. Distinguishing our fear from our intuition isn’t something to figure out or analyze with our minds. Instead, we can begin to quiet our minds by coming into what is true right now: our breath, a sensation in our body, a neutral stimulus in the environment, like the color of the wall. The mind is always time-traveling to the past and to the future, but the body is always in the present.

Feeling the difference

So how can we feel the difference between anxiety and intuition?

On a bodily level, anxiety feels jittery, nervous, tense. It may manifest as heaviness or tightness in our chest or throat. The content of the anxious inner dialogue itself may be dreadful or worried, hyper-focused on the past, future or unknown. Most of us, if not all of us, are familiar with what this feels like.

We can’t see our reflection in water that’s moving, only water that is still. The same is true for accessing the wisdom of our intuition.

Intuitive thoughts feel calm. They come to us in a clear and concise manner, like a deep inner knowing or a “gut feeling.” Maybe you can recall a time when you suddenly got a thought in your head about a next step that you need to take, and it just suddenly felt so clear and so right. That’s your intuition. It may even feel like a sigh of relief, even if the intuitive thought itself will inevitably bring up uncomfortable challenges, like deciding to end a relationship or quitting your job.

This mysterious inner guidance is always available to us. It’s often just clouded by the fearful chatter, like a thick layer of fog. The wisdom that we receive via our intuition is nothing outside of us. An external tool like a tarot deck or a journaling prompt is simply guiding us to reveal what we already know within the depths of our souls.

Distinguishing between anxiety and intuition is a daily practice of self-trust. We’re re-teaching our bodies that it is safe to be present. Maybe we’ve been taught to dishonor our voice, to rely on the opinions of others. When we practice distinguishing between these two voices, it gets easier. We’ll be able to know when to trust the thought or when to let it pass. As always, it’s nothing to be perfect at. This practice teaches us that we can rely on our own inner guidance again, that we don’t need to tightly grasp onto external validation in order to feel internally safe.

Reflection activity

This month’s reflection activity is a little different. You don’t need a journal, you only need your awareness.

For the rest of the day, pay extra attention to your inner dialogue.

Notice when a fearful thought arises. What does it feel like internally? All I want you to do is witness the experience of these thoughts without identifying with them.

Notice when an intuitive thought arises. You may notice that there are far more fearful thoughts than intuitive thoughts - that’s okay.

If you’re seeking a specific answer or piece of clarity, you may even ask your intuition for guidance and consciously open yourself to it. Notice how this intuitive practice feels more still and calm.

I hope this supports you on your inner journey, even just a little. Sending you ease and clarity.

Love,

Meg