Weekend Wisdom: What Might Be Blocking Your Intuitive Gut Feeling

If you are trying to trust your gut feeling and intuition, but feel like you can’t even figure out what your instincts are telling you, there could be a block. This is very common, but also possible to find the cause of so you can get back to listening to those intuitions you know you have.

Overthinking

Yes, it can be hard to not overthink especially now that you are telling yourself not to do it, but it is possible. Overthinking and overanalyzing every little thing is probably blocking you from being able to even listen to what your gut is saying. Gut reactions are about sensations and feelings — not about thinking!

Overthinking is when you feel like you need to study every single detail of something before you do it. Take for example, choosing what you want to eat for lunch. People who don’t overthink, might choose the first thing that comes to them, what is nearby, or what they are craving.

Someone who tends to overthink, will judge the nutritional content, go back and forth between several restaurants, consider minute details nobody would even think of, and begin getting anxious, frustrated, and overwhelmed with the options.You are picking lunch, not trying to fly a plane. It shouldn’t cause you anxiety. If it is, you might be overthinking.

So just come back to your body, notice what you feel your gut being drawn to. Go really simple and just notice what you react to with a ‘mmm, that feels nice’. That is a great start.

Anxiety or Fear

Anxiety is something many people struggle with, as well as various types of fears. But just because you feel stressed or anxious or fear the worst, doesn’t mean you can’t use that to your advantage. You can actually use your anxiety as a way to see when you are blocking your intuition, and what might be standing in the way.

If you always tend to get anxious when you are around a certain person, maybe it isn’t your fear, but your intuition telling you they are maybe not a safe person to be around, or just someone that isn’t good for you in this point in your life. Or maybe that you are a sensitive person who picks up on someone else’s emotional state very easily — but then gets muddled about what it their own state and what is another person’s. This can be a huge advantage to you once you learn how to tell the difference between the two — and that is very learnable!

Bias

You may also be blocking your own intuition because of your bias, or when you tend to always favour one thing over another, no matter what. Bias is extremely common, and not always a bad thing. When you think you have the cutest dog that ever lived, that is bias, but in a good way. Of course you love your dog more than any other dog!

But if you are biased in certain ways where it is affecting your ability to make good decisions or to listen to your gut, that is when it might be time to remain flexible and open-minded.

Remind yourself that you can choose when to use different skills and tendencies you have. You are not defined as a ‘biased person’ you are merely a person like any other who has biases over certain things and your job is to notice when you are in bias mode and change it if it doen’t help the current situation.

Lack of Trust

Do you not trust yourself because your intuition wronged you in the past? This is definitely something worth exploring. It is normal and actually a good thing when you learn from your mistakes, and when your experiences educate you on when to listen carefully to your gut. But sometimes, you are losing trust in yourself because of a misplaced decision, but it really has nothing to do with what you’re trying to decide in this moment.

Try talking this over in a few sessions with a counselor. They are people who can listen without judgement or their own agenda overriding yours and will help you unpick the decision you made that is unhelpful.

Other People’s Opinions or Judgments

Lastly, if you listen to other people too much and allow their judgments to dictate your own decisions, it is going to be really hard to pay attention to your own intuition. Make sure your choices are your own, including the intentions behind them. It can be helpful to get input from others but always just see it as information and put it in the mix as YOU make YOUR decision. You are the Executive here — not them and their agendas.

By the way, join me anytime on Facebook at the group MakeBigImpactNow. This is a community of Changemakers and Grassroots Givers who are doing what they can to make a difference and change the world. They are sincerely engaged in Doing Good Better, starting with themselves!

I’m producing a ton of free content about making an impact, leaving a legacy, making a difference and opening up the most profound levels of self-care for turbulent times. https://www.facebook.com/groups/468677503774245/

I am also blogging and posting on my old website which I will be dusting off and breathing new life into over the next few weeks. Watch this space. www.elizabethmorrisonline.com