Intuition vs. Anxiety: What’s the Difference?
Three Steps to Develop Your Inner Knowing
In my twenty-plus years of supporting people through all kinds of life transitions and big decisions, I have heard countless times, “How can I know if this is my intuition or anxiety?” Phrases like “trust your gut” and “you know when you know” can often add to the pressure and confusion as if we should inherently know what to trust and take that next step confidently.
As as therapist specializing in anxiety and simultaneously trained in spiritual psychology, it’s nuanced. So let’s explore this fascinating topic and discuss ways you can discern between the two and get clearer on your wants, feelings, decisions and values.
Intuition is often defined as an inner knowing and an ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious or logical reasoning. Rooted in instinct, rather than logic, this often shows up as a deep recognition, that goes beyond needing an explanation. Like a sixth sense, it can be felt in the body; hence the truth behind the statement, trust your gut, as it can be a powerful source of inner intelligence.
We are designed with our biology’s goal of keeping us safe. Our nervous system is constantly scanning for danger; asking, “Am I safe?” Our organs in the gut are lined with nerves that respond directly to our thoughts. So you may feel butterflies in your stomach when you’re excited or nervous, or a sense of disgust or sick to your stomach when feeling a strong, negative emotion, as if it’s ‘gut-wrenching.’
Now think of anxiety. I like to think of it as energy; often accompanied by stress, worry, fear, panic, dread, agitation and anticipation. Everyone feels this from time to time. And good thing we have it, or else we wouldn’t know when something dangerous was in our path and could cause us harm.
When we feel this all the time, we end up having chronic stress or anxiety. There are too many cues of danger circulating in or around us all the time. These conditions can lead to generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, specific phobias that keep us in a state of contraction. Anxiety wants to keep us safe, so having us stay constricted, small, stuck means we won’t get hurt.
Intuition wants us to expand. What if it is connected to something bigger than us, and guiding us on our spiritual path and true purpose? It may nudge us in that direction, yet sometimes that expansion is fearful, because new territory is the unknown. Our bodies, which are designed to keep us safe, may detect that as danger, so often starts sending signals to do just that.
The conditions and symptoms may show up as:
Feelings of excessive and distressing worry, anticipation, and/or fear
Asking yourself “what if?” questions that are most often illogical or irrational
Ruminating (excessive overthinking) on those “what if?” questions or other worries, ideas, or thoughts
Physical symptoms such as a racing heart, sweatiness, dizziness, shakiness, headaches, or gastrointestinal issues
Inability to catch your breath and complete a full breath cycle
Interrupted sleep and nightmares with more scary or disturbing themes
Everything feels urgent and easy to put off your own needs and wants, out of reacting to others first
Overthinking, and difficulty to quiet the mind
Difficulty sitting still and actually relaxing
Anxiety isn’t bad or wrong, it’s just part of how we’ve survived as humans. Staying in control and creating safety, is a smart way to prevent getting hurt or taking any risks. Yet what if how you awaken to who you really are and the path that calls to you, is about listening and trusting intuition within? As long as anxiety is in charge, you are not. The wise, intuitive you. Anxiety may not know you have this incredible intuition inside to help. So here are 3 ways to connect to it:
Think of a time in your past when you knew something was the right decision for you. It could have been a big life changing choice like choosing to end a relationship, start one, move or travel to a faraway place, or something smaller feeling called to turn down that road, book that ticket, send an email, or some kind of choice-point that was also a risk and an adventure into the unknown–but it all worked out even better than you could have imagined. Reflect back on this time and see if that is how intuition was speaking to you.
Notice where you feel your inner knowing. Where does it show up for you? We all have our core; the place in our own bodies where we feel centered. Where our truth speaks to us. It could be your belly, your heart, your solar plexus, our an overall energy in your entirebeing that feels more settled or true. Let your body be your compass. It has wisdom beyond the anxiety. And can often show us the way if we quiet our minds and learn to listen. Take a deep breath, a long exhale, and get quiet. Through stillness comes discernment, so go somewhere you feel safe, do things that help you feel connected, and see if your body can let go of tension enough to hear the quiet voice within.
Align with your values. What do you really care about? Anxiety is not concerned with your true values, because it cares more about keeping you safe. If all this pressure to figure out intuition and make a choice is actually adding anxiety and hijacking your intuition, think of it more as being curious about your values. It’s another way of assessing, what is the most important thing? What kind of person do I really want to be? How would my wisest self handle this? If I were to ask my future self what they think, what would they say about this?
If you’re still not sure the answer to any of these questions, talking about these things with a trusted guide, exploring this in therapy, or other ways of soul-searching, can help you get clear. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. This approach allows you to stop being controlled by worry and anxiety alone, and instead, you’ll learn to make decisions based on your own values, body’s wisdom, desire, intentions, and start taking the risks of living to live the life that is seeking you.