HOW TO EXPAND YOUR INTUITION

I can quite honestly say that I have only made truly terrible decisions both in my personal and business life (regarding people or situations) when I’ve known deep down that something isn’t right, but have quashed the feeling in favour of what my analytical mind has focussed on. Whenever a client is struggling to make a tough decision, even where they have all the facts, I’ll ask, ‘What does your gut say?’  That simple question often helps them solidify their thinking as the right choice is not always the most logical. Here are some easy ways to help expand your intuition, enabling you to make better decisions:  

1. Notice negative feelings in the bodyIf you think about a decision and it makes you feel sick, queasy or uneasy in any way, it’s a good indicator that something isn’t right.  It’s your body’s way of telling you that your thoughts are at odds with your instinct – your analytical mind and intuition are out of sync.
2. Slow down enough to feelWe often lead such busy lives that we don’t take the time to tune into our feelings.  If you have a difficult decision to make, take some quiet time to tune into how you really feel about it.
3. Get creativeWhen we are creative, e.g., writing, painting, reading, sports, etc. we tap into the right side of our brain which helps us tune into our feelings.  Any activity that allows you to get in ‘flow’ i.e. where you are so absorbed in what you are doing that time passes quickly, are perfect.
4. Go for a walkAs with item two, when you remove yourself from your environment and clear your head (getting out into the countryside or where there’s plenty of green, has been clinically proven to enhance well-being), will give you space to access your true feelings.
5. Sleep on itBefore you go to sleep instruct your subconscious to provide you with the answer when you wake up.  After that, don’t dwell on it (or you’ll never get to sleep), let it go.  As you sleep, your subconscious will work on the problem, and it’s likely that you’ll awake, knowing the action you should take.  Sounds a bit ‘New Age’, but it works.

  I still wouldn’t say that I take note of my intuition 100% of the time.  There are occasions when I still override it with logic.  However, I know that there’s likely to be a price to pay at some point, therefore, on my head be it! Over the next week, start to purposely tune into your gut.  Especially when you need to make a big decision, and challenge your analytical mind against what feels right! After thought – In between writing this post, I had two estate agents come to view my house.  The first I felt an instant connection with, although she was younger and clearly not very experienced.  The second was the complete opposite.  He had lots of experience and could probably sell my house with little effort.  However, I felt that there was something ‘off’ about him as soon as he walked through the door (although there was nothing I could put my finger on).  Subsequently, when asking friends for recommendations, I was told categorically (by three people whom I trust implicitly) to steer clear of No 2.  It seems my initial gut feeling was right!