How to develop your intuition
In 2022 I set a goal unlike any goal I have ever set before. Instead of focusing on a business goal, eating healthy and saving money I decided to set the goal of creating a regulated nervous system. To be honest I recognized that if I have a calm and regulated nervous system I knew that would spill over into many other areas in my life. I would show up as a better parent, as a better coach and I definitely knew I would feel healthier. While I was certainly right on with these thoughts this goal proved to be even more impactful than I could even begin to imagine. One of the greatest outcomes of this goal is for once in over a dozen years I finally began to fully trust myself and my intuition. Today I want to share the steps I took to develop my intuition and how you can do the same.
Intuition can be a hard thing to understand, but we all have these powerful senses that can guide us through life. We just need to learn how to listen and pay attention! In today's blog I am going to teach you the strategies to begin to develop and strengthen your intuition.
Notice your intuition.
You know your intuition is working when you feel the following:
A sense of knowing, or a gut feeling. When you're intuitive, you tap into unconscious information. This means that sometimes your mind will provide an answer to a question before it can even be translated into language or thought. You might have this "feeling" in your gut, or as an inner voice or sensation somewhere else in your body.
Vivid images and pictures appear spontaneously in your mind. Sometimes these visions are meaningful and helpful; other times they may seem confusing or even frightening at first glance (but upon further reflection could prove beneficial). The spontaneous appearance of such images is one sign that intuition has been activated within us as humans—and indeed throughout nature as well! For me angel numbers often appear of what seems like out of nowhere. This is usually confirmation of being on the right path.
Bring your attention to what's happening inside you.
As you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations, you can develop your intuition by noticing what you are experiencing. If a situation arises that calls for a decision or action on your part and the answer isn't immediately obvious to you, bring your attention to what's happening inside of you. Feelings such as joy or sadness may emerge in response to an event. Thoughts might arise that give insight into what is happening around us and help us understand our place within it.
Sensations may tell us something about ourselves or others at a particular time such as feeling hot when someone is angry with us or cold when they are upset over something we did wrong.
There are many ways in which this internal experience can be expressed: thoughts come up first; then fear sets in after the fact; then anger comes next (and sometimes before). You can also notice if there's some kind of physical reaction—a knot in the stomach maybe? The point here isn't necessarily whether these are good reactions or bad ones—it's simply noticing what happens internally so that we don't miss out on any opportunities for learning from them!
Allow yourself to be curious about your sensations and feelings.
As you're practicing being curious about your sensations and feelings, it's important to remember that you shouldn't judge them. You should also not fear them or try to avoid them. Instead, observe how they change in intensity over time; notice what kinds of things trigger them (for example: the sight of a certain color, the sound of a specific word, a certain person or place).
If you experience an uncomfortable feeling like anxiety or sadness while trying to be curious about your sensations and feelings, remind yourself that these emotions are normal parts of human experience. Remind yourself that nothing will happen if you allow yourself to feel whatever comes up for you.
Take a step back.
When you are in the thick of it, it’s easy to get wrapped up in your own emotions and thoughts. It is important to take time to think about what is going on and consider the situation from a different perspective. This can be as simple as taking a deep breath or stepping away from everyone else and simply looking at what is happening around you.
When I take time to take a step back I will often use a somatic practice to ground myself back into my body and to regulate my nervous system. This practice has been extremely supportive as I work to strengthen my intuition.
Check out my EFT playlist on YouTube for some examples: www.youtube.com/drnicolyawilliams
Take a few deep breaths.
When you're stressed out, it can be difficult to clear your mind and focus on the present moment. Deep breathing exercises can help you relax and gain some perspective. If you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe in for four counts, hold it for four counts, then breathe out for four counts until there's nothing left in your lungs; repeat until you feel more relaxed.
Imagine what you would tell a friend if they were having the same experience as you are.
Imagine what you would tell a friend if they were having the same experience as you are.
In your imagination, imagine that you're walking up to a friend who has just had their heart broken by someone they loved. Imagine that they have been crying and feel sad, but also confused about what happened and why it happened. What would you tell them? How would you advise them?
Maybe something like: “It's ok to be upset about what happened. It hurts! But don't let yourself wallow in pain for too long; there is no point in doing that because it won't make things better or change anything from happening again – it only makes the pain worse."
Or maybe something else altogether: “Remember how much fun it was when he/she was around? Remember how good those times felt? Well, even though those experiences are over now, sometimes all we need to do is remember what made us happy before so we can find happiness again."
The things we tell friends are often the very thing we need to hear.
Ask your intuition for guidance.
That's right! Now that you're tuned in, let's put your intuition to work for you. The next step is to ask for guidance. You can ask it one or more of these questions:
What is the best way forward?
What do I need to do next?
What do I need to do in order to get the results I want (for example, lose weight)?
What do I need to do in order for me feel better (for example, eat healthy food)?
When I do this I listen for what my mind subconsciously is saying.
Make room for your intuition to come up with an answer and try not to judge what you are feeling or thinking. Don’t push yourself to come up with an answer; this will only slow down the process. If you find yourself trying too hard, stop and take another breath. Let go of expectations and allow yourself time to relax into a space where answers can unfold naturally without being forced or rushed. This is where clarity will come from.
Consider journaling about it.
Journaling about your experiences can also help you process your thoughts and observations. You may not notice patterns in your life until you take some time to reflect on it. For example, maybe you’re not sure why you feel exhausted all the time, but then realize that it happens every Monday morning at 9 AM after going out with friends the night before; or maybe there’s a certain person who makes you feel uneasy—but only when they talk about politics! By writing down what happened (and how it made you feel), it might become clearer why certain things happen or make sense to us—and this might be a clue as to what our intuition is trying to tell us about those situations.
Opening yourself up to the intuitive nudges that are already around can make you feel empowered, but it also takes practice and patience!
Intuition is a natural part of being human, and it can be used as a tool for making decisions. However, it is not a magic bullet; intuition does not mean that we don’t need to be thoughtful about our decisions. It does not mean that we should ignore good judgment or common sense.
Intuition is not meant to replace careful analysis or research; it’s just another tool in your arsenal!
I trust that these tips will help you feel more confident about listening to your intuition and that you'll be able to use them in your daily life. Remember you have the answers you need inside of you, your job is to begin to trust yourself and the best way to learn that is through practice and experience!
