What Is Your Gut Feeling *Actually* Trying To Tell You?
Understanding the science behind the phrase & learning to listen to your intuition.
“Go with your gut.” “Trust your intuition.” “Instincts first, emotions last.” No matter the vernacular, as a society, we love to romanticize intuition. That feeling deep down inside is characterized by knowing without a doubt why you should, or shouldn’t, do something with little to no explanation. It’s the reason why you avoid an alleyway, turn down an opportunity that is seemingly perfect, or why two people get married straightaway after meeting. You just know.
I’m going to go out on a ledge and ask the question that everyone might be thinking — what about when you don’t have a deep sense of what to do? What if instead, the level of clarity that you’re searching for ends up being murky water? Or worse — what about the times where you search inwards and get conflicting answers? How can we decipher something so crucial? Is the answer to always look inward?
The textbook definition of a gut feeling is “being able to understand something immediately, without any conscious reasoning.” That means no asking your therapist for guidance, no weighing pros and cons, no help with the decision — you should just know. Meanwhile, the feeling can also seemingly feel like fear. The textbook definition of fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat”. Though they are different, we sometimes trick ourselves into reimagining fear as intention — just stemming from a place of personal protection. It’s tricky. So, how can you tell the difference?
“When you approach a decision intuitively, your brain works in tandem with your gut to quickly assess all your memories, past learnings, personal needs, and preferences and then makes the wisest decision given the context.” -Melody Wilding via Harvard Business Review
Let’s get scientific real quick. According to this article from the Harvard Business Review, there is true scientific reasoning behind intuition. It’s the reason why your stomach, aka your gut, is considered your second brain. Not only does the article describe intuition as a “form of emotional and experiential data”, but it also outlines the ways that we can begin to leverage our intuition on a daily basis. The editor also writes “Intuition is like a muscle — it can be strengthened with intentional practice.”
Inhaling this advice, it becomes pretty apparent that obsessing over intuition and trying to decipher between fear and a gut feeling only makes the decision that much trickier. In short — our gut feelings are steady and rational. Instances of important decision making, like debating whether or not to move across the country or take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity might spur anxiety which only further calls you to really hone in on your gut. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about using the tools we have to make the best decision we can.