Intuition - The secret weapon in your insight

As a female professional, I know that many of the decisions you face are difficult. You may have to take risks, make big decisions and deal with conflict as part of your job and outside of the working world you have to make decisions in your life, period, about finances, relationships, children. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming as you try and logically work everything out to the point it can be exhausting. You may think it is a good idea to canvass different opinions but that can leave you even more confused as you navigate the myriad of decisions to be made.

However we all have a secret weapon which for many is underutilised and others are not even aware of its existence.

Yep, I’m speaking about intuition!

How do you make sure that your intuition is guiding you towards the right decision?

You might be familiar with the concept of “gut feelings”. For example, when someone says something that doesn’t sound right to you or makes an insensitive comment about race or gender, it can trigger an immediate response from your gut. However, we often ignore these feelings because we don’t know what they mean or why those thoughts are coming up for us at a particular time. As a result, we avoid trusting ourselves because our intuition seems unreliable.

There was an occasion when I was working with a client and she ‘had a feeling’, her husband was cheating on her. She said she’d had the feeling for some time, but rather than follow that feeling and potentially make enquiries, she decided she had to find evidence before speaking to him about her concerns. She was 2 years in her period of gathering evidence and still did not believe she had enough evidence. All the while she was feeling miserable but seemed determined to ignore her gut feeling and wait for the evidence.

Thinking your intuition is not reliable, is not true! Intuition is actually very precise in terms of what it tells us about ourselves and others around us – if only we could learn to understand it and how to use it properly!

What is the difference between insight and intuition?

Insight and intuition are two terms that are often used interchangeably. However, there is a difference between the two.

Insight is a sudden realisation or understanding of something that has been puzzling you or causing you discomfort. It’s like when you suddenly realise why someone did something or why they reacted in a certain way–it just clicks in your mind!

I was working with a client who came to me with a work issue. They were trying to figure out why their line manager seemed angry all the time, even though they had a good relationship. At one point they began to take the situation personally and it started to impact their work. However, they realised the problem was not them at all!

They explained that through talking to a colleague about their line manager, it transpired their working relationship had improved because their line manager was now working from home and enjoyed it. At that moment my client had an insight and wondered if their line manager was angry because they wanted to work from home? Another thought then followed which was, maybe the line manager was stressed being in the office most of the time and being at home could help them to relax.

Intuition comes from the Latin word meaning ‘to look within’. When we look within, we can find answers to the problems that we face. Intuition is more like having a gut feeling about something but not being able to explain why it feels right or wrong. You may get an intuitive sense about someone’s character without really knowing anything about them personally; for example: “I don’t trust him.”

A combination of the two could be you have a feeling about something or someone and it’s been on your mind lately but no matter how hard you try to figure out what that might be (or why) no answer comes up immediately…until suddenly one day when everything falls into place: “That’s it!” Your intuition contributed to your insight!

The benefits of using Intuition

It’s a more natural way to solve problems

Intuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. We make thousands of decisions every day, and most of them are made intuitively. We choose what to eat, who to trust, and how to get from point A to point B—without consciously thinking through each individual decision.

Intuition helps us make better decisions

Intuition can be a powerful tool for decision-making. It allows us to make fast decisions that are usually right, even if they’re not perfect. Our subconscious mind stores information about past experiences and applies it in new situations. When we use our intuition, we’re tapping into this stored knowledge, which means we’ll often get better results than if we were making decisions based on logic or pure reason alone (as these approaches can be flawed).

For example: If you’re deciding whether or not to ask your boss for a raise, you might try listing out the reasons why you deserve one—and then listing out the reasons why you don’t. This approach is logical and rational. However, if you use your intuition instead—by asking yourself what feels right—you could reach an answer faster and more effectively than if you’d gone through a logical process.

Intuition can help us recognize changes in ourselves over time

Intuition can help us recognize changes in ourselves over time.

We all have an intuitive sense of who we are, how we operate and what our needs are. Our intuition is a compass that helps guide us through life, helping us make decisions and solve problems. When we rely on our intuition, we’re tapping into the guidance that comes from within us and also from our higher self.

When we practice listening to our intuition and following it, it becomes easier to identify changes in ourselves over time as well as changes in others.

We can begin to recognize patterns in our emotional responses, physical sensations or thoughts that occur before certain events occur or when dealing with difficult situations.

When you notice these signs, you can use them as cues to tune into your intuition for guidance about what action to take next. This can help ease stress by providing clarity around what steps need to be taken next so that you can feel confident about what’s happening both internally and externally within your world at any given moment.

You’ll feel like you’re using your natural abilities, rather than trying to force something that doesn’t work for you

Intuition is a powerful tool. It’s not something that you can learn and then use, but rather it’s something that you’ll feel like you’re using your natural abilities rather than trying to force something that doesn’t work for you.

When we think about intuition, we often think about gut feelings or hunches. These are the things that tell us what to do without having any logical reason for doing so. Sometimes these gut feelings and hunches actually lead us to make bad decisions, but in general they’re pretty helpful! They allow us to make decisions quickly and easily when we don’t have enough information available yet (and sometimes even when we do).

We often talk about how important it is to be able to trust yourself—to not just rely on other people’s advice when making decisions because they might not have all the information needed to make an educated choice either. But what does trusting yourself mean? It means trusting your intuition! It means listening carefully and paying attention when those little voices inside your head tell you what needs doing next (because there will always be some kind of voice telling us something!).

So how do you know when your instincts are guiding you in the right direction?

Here are some signs that might indicate you’re relying on your intuition:

You feel confident about your decision. Sometimes we make a decision, but our gut instinct is telling us it’s not the right choice. If you find yourself second-guessing yourself and feeling uncertain after making a decision, this could be a sign that you need to take another look at what’s really going on.
You feel excited about the outcome of your decision. Sometimes we make a decision and it feels good—we’re excited to see how things will turn out. If they don’t go as planned, there’s no real sense of disappointment or worry because we already had faith in our decision from the beginning. This can be an indication that your instincts are working for you!
You find yourself looking forward to something new rather than dreading change. In general, people have a tendency to fear change—especially when it comes to big decisions like career changes or moving cities/states/countries/etc., but if you find yourself thinking positively about these changes instead of feeling anxious or overwhelmed by them, that’s another sign that your mind is working correctly!
You didn’t have to think too hard about it. So, how do you know if you’re using your intuition? Well, it’s more than just a hunch. A true intuitive thought feels more like a lightbulb going off in your head—a spark of inspiration that feels almost effortless and immediate.

You know you’re using your intuition when you don’t have to think too hard about it. You’ll know it because it’s a feeling in your gut, or in your heart. It might be a feeling of certainty or peace, or maybe it’s just a sense that something is right and you should go with it. Either way, you won’t have to spend a lot of time trying to convince yourself that this is the right path for you—it just feels like it is.

There are lots of reasons why we might avoid trusting our intuition and allow ourselves to get stuck in a mental rut.

We don’t trust intuition because:

It’s not always right.

We don’t trust intuition because it’s not always right.

We’re afraid of making a mistake. We don’t want to do anything that might be wrong, because that would make us look stupid or incompetent. We’re worried that people will judge us negatively if they find out we made the wrong decision, so our natural instinct is just not to take any risks at all–even though this means missing out on opportunities for growth and progress!

Intuition is our gut instinct, and we know that sometimes our guts are wrong, or that our gut instincts can be contradicted by data. So if we’re faced with a decision, we’ll often just ignore our gut and rely on facts instead.

But this isn’t always the best approach! Sometimes, intuition is actually right—and sometimes ignoring your intuition can lead to disastrous results.

The way to make your intuition more reliable is to train your brain to be less skeptical of your own hunches and instincts. The best thing to do is to practice being more aware of what your body and mind are telling you. When you notice an itch, pay attention to it! When you get an urge to eat something specific or go somewhere specific, take note! If it’s a strong feeling that something bad is going to happen, then maybe it will! We tend not to trust our own bodies because we don’t know how they work—but if we can learn how they work, then we can trust them more often than not.

2. It can be hard to explain what we’re feeling, especially if it’s a gut feeling (not just a feeling in your gut).

You know how you’re sometimes just like, “I don’t know why I feel this way”? Well, that’s your intuition!

But there’s another reason why we don’t trust our intuition: we’re taught to rely on logic and reason. We’re taught that our decisions should be backed up by facts and evidence. But when it comes to something as intangible as emotion and gut instinct, these things can be hard to quantify. So instead of listening to our guts, we end up doing things like freaking out about an exam or freaking out about an important meeting because we’ve convinced ourselves that something bad will happen if we don’t do everything perfectly—when really all that would happen is something good might not happen instead!

We don’t trust our intuition because it can be hard to explain what we’re feeling, especially if it’s a gut feeling (not just a feeling in your gut).

When you’re trying to explain why something doesn’t feel right, you may feel like you’re just talking about your feelings. This can make it hard for other people to understand

what you mean. You might even start to doubt yourself and the things that come up for you!

To overcome this it may help to write down everything that comes up for you when you think about something new. This includes emotions and physical sensations. If something feels funny in your stomach or chest area, write that down too! At least you are not ruminating about it in your head and can put a name to your feeling.

3. We’re conditioned to question our own instincts, especially if they’re different from someone else’s.

We don’t trust intuition because we’re conditioned to question our own instincts, especially if they’re different from someone else’s.

In a world where we are constantly being bombarded by information, it can be difficult to find a quiet place in your mind where you can listen to your inner voice. And when you do find that space, it can seem so different from what everyone else is saying that you begin to doubt yourself—or worse, you begin to doubt your intuition altogether.

But the truth is that intuition has been with us since the beginning of time. It’s how we’ve survived for so long as a species. In fact, some scientists believe that our brains evolved in such a way that they would be better able to make decisions based on instinct than on rational thinking alone. So why do we tend to ignore this powerful part of ourselves?

How do you access your intuition?

You have a powerful tool at your disposal. A tool that you can use to make better decisions, feel more confident, and get out of the way of your own life.

You have access to this tool at all times and in all places. It is innate to who you are as a human being, and it’s always available to you when you need it.

But here’s the catch—you have to learn how to access it Here are the steps I have taken to assist me to tap into my intuition so I can recognise it at work more of the time.

Know that you are already intuitive, and you can access your intuition at any time.

Know that you are already intuitive, and you can access your intuition at any time. Intuition is the ability to know things without having to learn about them or think about them. It’s a sense that comes from inside of you, and it lets you know when something is right or wrong, safe or dangerous, good or bad.

Take a deep breath, and allow yourself to be present and in the moment

In order to be present and in the moment, you need to be able to feel your body. You can’t do that if you’re constantly thinking about something else. So how do you do it? Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and allow yourself to be present and in the moment. If you find yourself thinking about something else, just acknowledge it and then bring your attention back to your body.

Ask yourself a question

Ask yourself any question that you need answered and then sit back and wait for the answer to come to you. Ask the question with an open heart and mind—don’t judge the answer before you hear it. If there is any judgement at all in your mind when asking a question, it will affect how you perceive the answer. This can cause you to reject the answer or ignore it altogether.

The answer will come in the form of an image, a word, or a feeling—or even all three! This may sound too simple to be real, but it works. If you’re having trouble getting results, try asking your question aloud instead of just thinking about it silently in your head.

Give yourself permission to trust the answer

When you’re asking questions, sometimes the answers may not be what you want to hear. But that doesn’t mean they’re wrong! It’s important to give yourself permission to trust the answer, no matter what it is.

In Conclusion

Listening to your gut just means being open and willing to hear what it has to say. It doesn’t require you to be a psychic, or even that you believe in the power of your intuition. It’s about taking the time to slow down and really think about what feels right for you.

Once you start listening more carefully, you’ll find that you have a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you. You’ll also find that it’s easier to make decisions because they feel right—not because they’re what someone else would do or because they’re what society expects of you.

We all have the ability to listen to our intuition and make better decisions in our lives. Once you start listening to your gut feelings, you’ll feel more confident when making decisions and solving problems.

If you want to utilise your intuition when problem solving, book your insight session here.

MY NAME IS…

Janet Rhynie

I believe my purpose and passion is to educate, equip and empower you to live the life you know you were meant to live.

Discover more about me and how we can work together here.