We’re all born with a deep in built knowing, but slowly along the way we learn to stop listening to it. We are trained to stop trusting ourselves, to stop listening to our bodies, and to instead over analyze and question everything.
If you want to be able to listen to your intuition again, to understand what it’s telling you and not have to rely on Google or somebody else, then read on. Here’s what you should know about learning to listen to your intuition:
- Meditation
Yep, that advice again! Just about every post on the internet tells people to meditate these days – but trust us, it’s with good reason. Meditation forces us to slow down. It forces us to pay attention to how we’re feeling head to toe, both physically, and mentally.
It’s rare people actually take the time to slow down and ask their body what it needs or wants, which is why meditation is so important. If you’re worried you won’t be able to develop a daily practice, just do it for two minutes a day. Really take your time building a habit and very slowly increase the amount of time spent meditating so that you can do it regularly. You’ll quickly notice other benefits, such as better clarity, more creativity, and a deeper sleep quality too.
- Tired? Do Less
Feeling tired is a sign, and trying to continue how you would on a normal day could be a big mistake. Working out when tired gives us more chance of becoming injured. Driving while tired is extremely dangerous. If you’ve not had enough sleep, for whatever reason, ask yourself what you can cut from your to-do list. You can then go to bed earlier ready for the next productive day.
It’s not impossible to listen to your intuition when you’re tired, but it is a lot harder. Try to get a decent amount of sleep every night – 8 hours is best.
- Take A Second Before Giving An Answer
Different people probably ask you questions every day. However, as most of us are trained to answer with what we think we should say, or what the other person wants to hear, rather than what we want to say, it can be difficult to decipher our own thoughts and opinions from that of who we have been trained to be.
Try waiting a second before answering a question, whether it’s your boss asking it or a family member. Try to drop into your stomach and pay attention to how it feels. Your gut can give you a huge indication of how you truly feel, and ignoring your feelings can only work for so long. Your job is to put your authentic feelings into words. Ask yourself these questions:
- If I could label this feeling, what would I call it?
- Is there a gentle voice in my head I’m ignoring? What’s it saying? – Intuition is quiet and gentle. It is not urgent and loud – that’s anxiety.
You really do know everything you need to know already. If you feel like something may be wrong with a pet, but you’re not sure why, keep an eye on them. Your intuition won’t give you information on pirna biogenesis (Piwi-interacting RNAs, small RNAs distinct to animals) but it will give you subtle hints in other ways. Being more mindful of the thoughts you have, no matter how random they seem, will allow you to become more in touch with that deep inner knowing.
- Live In The Moment
When you’re stressed or anxious, you’re living in the past or future. Living in the moment can be difficult, but it’s all we have. Bring yourself back to the present moment as often as you need to.
