Intuition is the ability that everyone has, but don’t often tap into the power of intuition. So what is intuition? It is the reason that you know you know something but you don’t know how you know it.
The definition of intuition from the dictionary states that: the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.
When we are able to understand just how subconscious we really are when it comes to our thoughts, we can make more reliable use of the knowledge and abilities we already control.
There are a number of strategies that you can use as a way to find a healthy perspective around critical thinking and your hunches.
How to Learn to Rely on Intuition
Acknowledge Intuition: First of all, you will need to acknowledge that intuition has a role in your life.
Interestingly, cognitive science has started to give credit to the part our intuition plays in our thoughts and behavior.
It is possible that you are mistakenly assuming you are making a rational decision on something when you might really be going on your gut feelings.
Can you remember a time when you might have driven your car home without much thought? It might have felt like you were on autopilot.
Question Gender Stereotypes: There is some question as to whether or not women have stronger intuitions than men.
Since women tend to be more sensitive when it comes to emotional cues, there is a strong indication that intuition plays a part.
Looking Out for Connections: You will find that your intuition might be more reliable and stronger in areas where you have some expertise and experience.
You might want to consider looking at different situations that are similar and see if there is a way to categorize the situation.
You might want to take a look at the different situations regarding similarities especially if this is something you have handled before.
Is there more of a connection?
Encourage Yourself to Make Snap Judgements: Often when we have a gut feeling (intuition), we respond quickly.
When the stakes are low, you can practice building up your confidence around intuition by making a quick decision.
Feed Your Sense of Curiosity: We are often the best judges of character when we are curious about others. Try to put yourself in another person’s shoes so you can understand their conduct.
Have a Perspective for Your Emotions: It is not unusual for us to exaggerate how certain events are going to affect us emotionally.
It is a good idea to learn to listen to your feelings and not get overly emotional. It doesn’t really matter if you lose a bet or win the lottery.
You are going to return to normal emotionally one way or the other.
Realize That You Have Limitations: It is kind of tempting to ignore what you don’t want to see and even justify your mistakes.
However, by being disciplined you are better able to scrutinize your mistakes as a way of learning from them.
Under Certain Circumstances, It’s Good to Rely on Intuition
Certainly, there are times when listening to your intuition is a good thing. However, you are going to have to decide if it is intuition or just something you think you should do or say.
It is important to remember that often our first judgment of people is the most reliable. We are more likely to recognize people who will enrich our lives.
We just need to keep our minds open and understand that not everyone has our best interests in mind.
Sometimes we just need to keep quiet. When it comes to relationships, it is sometimes better to keep your opinions and thoughts to yourself.
You may be right, but your friend may not appreciate you reminding them that they have been eating a lot of candy lately.
Sure, they have a goal to drop a few pounds but trust your intuition and see if this is something you should say.
Fear can stop us from doing a lot of things. This is often a good thing. However, our evolution as humans has set us up with some health fears.
It is a good thing to check to see if the fear is real or just false evidence appearing real. You are most likely not going to be killed by a tiger in the middle of a city!
Your conscience is your friend. As an adult, you know the difference between right and wrong.
If you are comfortable with your actions and you have no problem with people knowing what you have done, then you are probably doing what’s right.
You can certainly play your hunches, trust your gut, but remember to find some time to weigh all the facts before making a move.
The power of intuition plays a big role when it comes to decision-making. Therefore, you need to be conscious of the process as this will help you to strengthen your intuition.
Five Simple Actions That Can Help Strengthen Your Intuition
Intuition is a tool. It has been called a mystical power. On the other hand, it could merely be our subconscious trying to tell us something.
No matter the source, we all have a little voice inside us that is always trying to tell us things.
When we got older we might have forgotten to listen to that little voice. As a result, it got weaker and weaker.
Instead, we ended up turning to logic and focusing on being practical. We have however experienced a lot over our lifetime.
So there is a part of the brain that has gained an enormous amount of wisdom. Listening to that little voice can only be a good thing.
Here Are Some Techniques to Strengthen Your Intuition:
Meditate Daily: Intuition has a rather soft voice and if we have a lot of chatter going on in our minds we are most likely not going to hear it.
Mediation gives an opportunity to clear the mind. It helps to give room for intuition to be heard.
One simple way to meditate is to sit in a quiet place and clear your mind by taking some simple breaths. Just stay focused on your breathing and allow the mind to wander.
Write Down Your Dreams: It is possible that our dreams are telling us something. They are full of information some of which we may not understand.
It is believed by psychologists that we are actually working out issues and challenges during sleep.
When we wake up and get busy with the day, the dreams we had during sleep get lost.
Apparently, we have around five dreams every night.
Here are some tips for remembering your dreams:
- Once you get into your bed, tell yourself that you are going to remember your dreams when you wake up in the morning. Repeat this thought as you fall asleep.
- Make sure you have a notebook or paper and pen on your bedside table. Or you can use a voice recorder. Your phone has one. As soon as you wake up in the morning, write down everything you can remember about your dreams.
- Take a look at what you have written and see if there is any information that can relate to your life.
Listen to Your Intuition: It is important to remember to heed your intuition. Otherwise, it will grow quiet.
The best way to strengthen the power of intuition is to use it in minor situations that occur in your life.
An example could be that the next time you are out for a walk, as yourself which way you want to go and then take the direction that comes to mind.
By doing this you are showing your intuition that you have listened.
Keep Your Mind Active: You will want to keep your mind busy, although not too busy.
Your mind is likely to wander when you are doing things such as driving your car, walking, taking a shower, cleaning the house, or sitting in the garden.
These are the times that your intuition is likely to talk to you.
Write in a Journal: Journals are great for so many different reasons. We all know about gratitude journals.
However, you can keep a journal of thoughts and ideas you have during the day. Every so often, read through your thoughts and ideas.
You just might find some insight.
The Power of Intuition Video:
The upside of listening to your intuition is that it can help you identify and even solve any challenges that you might be having.
Intuition releases the creativity in you along with your imagination. It is a wonderful resource.
The power of intuition comes from you nurturing it. Paying attention to that “little voice” that talks to you.
Our intuition is tethered to the subconscious. It is the ultimate source of creative energy and wisdom.
You can make your life richer when you utilize the power of intuition.