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Intuition is quite a broad term that some people have never even heard of.

It’s also called gut feeling, or inner knowing. Even if you don’t really understand it yet, you have definitely gotten messages from your intuition.

Now there may be some people debating whether intuition is real or just something those “woo woo” people talk about. Well, this article has research showing that intuition is a fine-tuned form of perception we are all wired for. The great news is that it’s innate in all of us and hearing your intuition is a skill that can be learned.

Intuition is so important because it can be your ultimate guiding light toward a more fulfilling life that brings you genuine happiness. It can help you feel confident in your decision-making and understand what relationships best serve your happiness and those you need to let go of. It can also be a powerful tool against anxiety once we can learn to get quiet and hear its all-important messages. Hearing my intuition and following its guidance has completely changed my life for the better.

I wasn’t always able to hear my intuition, and even if I did get quiet enough to hear it, I would doubt or question the messages coming to me. This brings us to the main reason so many of us can’t access our own intuition: not trusting ourselves enough. I was in this place for years and felt frustrated. I had big goals and knew the life I desired; I just had no idea how to get there and would rely on outside sources for guidance. This would always lead me to a dead end.

So why don’t most people trust themselves? Well, there’s a variety of reasons, but today I am breaking down the main reasons for that lack of trust.

Let’s get into it.

Low Confidence: 

Having low confidence is one of the main reasons you don’t trust yourself. Unfortunately, we were taught from a young age that we need to follow societal standards about how our lives should look. We should always do what we are told and never question authority. Sure this tactic may produce diligent and hard workers, but it does nothing for building and maintaining confidence in oneself.

You may have also watched your parents or friends deal with low confidence and unconsciously adopted that mindset for yourself. As kids, our brains are extremely impressionable, so we take everything as truth. This is no different when it comes to confidence and belief in yourself.

Past Mistakes: 

Along with having low confidence, past mistakes (and regrets) are another reason behind not trusting yourself. Maybe there is an event from your past that still keeps you up at night, going in circles in your head about what happened. Maybe, you regret not starting something or an awkward encounter with another person. Whatever it is, rehashing these events is only doing you a disservice. The energy that you are using to recount the past is greatly blocking your ability to change your future.

The biggest mindset shift that helped me with this is: that there are no mistakes in life; everything happens for your good. Now this doesn’t excuse bad behavior from other people or something that physically harmed you. But every event in your life has a powerful lesson in there. Use the journal prompts at the end of this article to make peace with the past and build your intuition for a brighter future.

Distractions: 

This is a huge reason and probably affects every single one of us in today’s reality. You are too distracted to hear your intuition and for good reason. We are hyper-connected and there are millions of different things trying to capture your attention. Being focused and connected to yourself takes consistent practice and dedication. But the good news is that it gets easier the more you do it. Building intuition is just like any other muscle you work in the gym; over time, you will see results.

Social media has completely altered our attention span, and these lasting effects are dangerous and something that we don’t know the full extent of. When you make an effort to put the distractions away and focus on your connection to yourself, this will also grow your confidence faster than anything else. Make a commitment that you will no longer run from yourself. Today you choose to start building a relationship with the most important person in your life, you!

Running from emotions: 

It saddens me that growing up we are not taught about our emotions and how to deal with them. But the truth is that so many of us are running from emotions. We keep ourselves distracted so we don’t have to feel the pain or anxiety. I used to do this too. I thought my emotions would be too great to handle, so I just simply would not deal with them.

This never works! Stuffing down emotions only makes them greater and more pronounced until you address them. And let me tell you, embracing your emotions is a wonderful gift that makes for a richer and fuller life. Once you are no longer scared of your feelings, your intuition has a clear path to talk to you and guide you toward your dream life.

Fear versus Intuition

As you build up your intuition and trust the messages it sends, it’s important to mention another voice that will want your attention. This voice is often louder and more intense, making it hard to differentiate the two. So what is this voice that is commanding more of your attention? Fear!

Fear is like that annoying fly that keeps bothering you that you can’t swat away. Just when you think it’s gone, it becomes even more persistent. Unfortunately, a large percentage of humans are driven by fear because it is such a loud voice, and most people can’t seem to shake it. Our brains are wired to find threats, so fear has more opportunity to make itself known.

But luckily for you, you don’t have to be ruled by fear. Intuition is a muscle that can be grown with repetition and patience. The next section will cover what exactly I did to strengthen my own intuition and trust myself. But before we get into that, here’s a little exercise to help you identify if your intuition or fear is talking.

When that inner voice shows up, stop to question it. Is the voice loud, persistent, and desiring a solution right now? Is the voice wanting you to freeze up or run away? These are telltale signs that it’s fear. Of course there may be situations that require you to protect yourself, but your daily worries should not elicit a strong fear response.

Instead, you want to listen to the voice that is more caring and understanding. Your intuition will give you nudges or clues, but it will never force you into anything. Intuition is there to guide you, not command all your energy. The tricky part is that intuition starts off much quieter than fear, so let’s dig into how you can start hearing your own.

How to strengthen your intuition:

Getting quiet: 

The secret to knowing yourself better and hearing your intuition is by getting quiet. Earlier, I mentioned how distracted everyone is and how this is a huge disservice to our confidence and mindset. Well, the way to combat this and take your power back is by getting quiet.

The way I incorporated this into my own life was by making it a nonnegotiable habit. I would set my phone alarm for 15 minutes and sit in silence. It was hard at first because I was so used to having constant information or entertainment in front of me, but it gets easier. Not only can you start to hear that calmer voice inside you, but you also can hear more messages throughout the day because even 15 minutes of clearing your mind does wonders.

If you can’t sit in silence for 15 minutes, try following along a free meditation on YouTube. I prefer to do this in the morning before I start getting distracted by work and life. Have your journal next to you so you can write down any messages or feelings you are getting. This is your intuition.

Achieving small goals: 

The first part of building trust is being able to hear your intuition while the second part is taking the action it’s telling you. We can hear messages all day long, but confidence is built by actually going out into the world and trying things. This is a great tool to build your confidence and self-belief.

Start by setting small goals and follow through with them. It can be small things like walking for 15 minutes a day, reading 10 pages of a book, or making a phone call you’ve been putting off. Take it a step further by checking these off as you do them on a habit tracker or wall calendar. Being able to physically see all you’ve accomplished will grow your confidence and instill trust in yourself. Your intuition will gladly send you more nudges and signs because it knows you will follow the guidance.

Stepping into the unknown: 

Once you have small goals you’ve accomplished and know you can follow through, it’s time to take it up another level. Intuition, trust, confidence, genuine happiness—all these things are discovered outside your comfort zone. When you have the confidence to try something new without worrying about the outcome, this is where you learn about yourself.

You’ll realize that there is nothing to fear outside of your comfort zone and that you’ll be okay no matter what. Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but talk yourself out of it? What if you permitted yourself to start exploring it and seeing what happens? Your intuition will be the guiding light and be with you every step of the way.

You’ll never know what’s meant for you if you don’t get out there and see for yourself. Trust me, trying something outside of your comfort zone and finding joy no matter the outcome will make you the most confident version of yourself.

Journal Prompts

We’ve discussed intuition, why it’s important, how to know if fear is really talking, and how to strengthen your inner guide. Intuition is an amazing tool that can guide you to the life of your dreams. The secret to hearing your intuition is by trusting yourself.

Since I fully believe in the power of journaling, let’s end today with some journaling prompts to get you acquainted with your intuition. The great thing is that this connection to self grows stronger with practice and intention. By using journaling as a tool to communicate with your inner self, you are growing your confidence in an intentional way. Now, grab your journal and reflect on the below questions. There’s no right answer, just let the words flow from you.

What is my relationship to my intuition? What has it told me in the past?

If I fully trusted myself, how would my life look?

How distracted am I daily? What am I distracting myself from?

How can I allow more quiet and reflection into my life? 

What’s one thing I can do today to start trusting myself and following my intuition? 

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