Inner knowing, wisdom, that little voice inside. There are so many ways to describe your intuition, but no matter what you call it, that inner guidance system is real and it’s something you can tap into.
Your intuition is a collection of all your subconscious experiences. It’s constantly growing and changing because it’s gathering information from your life as you have new experiences.
It’s possible to strengthen your connection to this inner knowing and to use it as a basis for your decision making. This is what people talk about when they say “listen to your gut.” You can actually make space for this wisdom to grow and get better at tapping into it.
We all have an internal guidance system, but some of us are more used to tapping into it. Historically women had a stronger connection with their intuition because they needed this greater awareness to protect their children from danger. Your level of intuition depends on how much you pay attention to these internal nudges and whether or not you nurture it and make space for it to grow.
There’s an element of self-trust as well. Intuitive abilities can also be affected by significant emotional experiences, especially those in childhood. Someone who’s experienced childhood trauma will likely experience excessive doubt and second guess their inner voice as a learned adaptation for self-protection.
If you’re looking to trust your intuition again, here are 5 ways you can begin:
1. Take note of your feelings.
If you have a feeling that something’s wrong, even if you don’t necessarily know what it is, pay attention. Most likely there’s a part of you that’s picking up on something that’s off. It might not be fully apparent at first, but listen to your hunch, scan the situation to see if anything jumps out at you and see if the feeling persists. You might choose to say a prayer or ask the Universe for guidance to show you what you need to see. Taking note of your feelings is the first step in decoding what they’re trying to tell you.
2. Look inside for answers.
How many times have you been in a situation where you don’t think you know what to do next? Something to try next time that moment hits, is to take a deep breath, close your eyes and count to 5. Get quiet on the inside and relax your body as much as you can. Connect with the part of you that knows what’s best for you. Your intuition might show up in words, images, or more of a feeling. Whatever comes up, listen to it, it won’t lead you down the wrong path.
3. Trust yourself.
A new level of confidence and freedom comes from learning to trust yourself. We often place our trust in others before ourselves because we assume that they know something we don’t. Trust is one of the most valued things in life, even more valuable when we can trust ourselves. Only you know what’s truly best for you. Practice asking yourself and trusting the answers that come up.
4. Let go.
Releasing control, or your perception of control, will stop you from stressing about things that you ultimately can’t do anything about. When you decide to let go of what you cannot change, and trust that you’ll be alright, you’re allowing yourself the space inside for new (better fitting) possibilities to show up.
5. Look for signs.
You won’t always come to know things from the “sound” of an internal voice. Signs on the outside are the Universe’s way of letting your intuition speak to you. Things all around you exist to guide you in the right direction. It’s a way for your subconscious to communicate the wants and needs of your heart, so look around you and if something feels like a sign, it probably is.
Once you begin to listen to your intuition, you’ll start to see possibilities that you never saw before. Learning to listen to your intuition can give you the confidence you need to say no and set boundaries when you need to. It can also give you permission to trust your decisions and take the leap in a direction that’s positive for you when you feel like it’s the right thing to do.
Know that every decision you make is helping you to become a more experienced version of yourself. You’re constantly learning and your internal guidance is doing the same and building it’s wisdom, it’s up to you to tap into it.