Intuition is the reason for most ground-breaking discoveries and inventions. The sudden brilliant ideas and solutions seem to come from nowhere.
Nikola Tesla said that this inner wisdom transcends knowledge. Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein relied on their intuition to reach world-changing ideas.
What is intuition?
“Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion.”
— Steve Jobs
Intuition is a “gut feeling.” Similar to consciousness, it’s real but difficult to define or measure.
Stores of knowledge and experience predict outcomes. Since humans are pattern-matching beings, we can sense what comes next in the sequence. So, if a negative situation is coming, they can avoid it.
Examples of intuition:
“When evil is present, your body knows.”
— Sky M. Armstrong
- Getting a bad vibe from someone or a situation.
- Knowing what will happen next.
- Suddenly getting an incredible idea out of nowhere.
- Feeling uncomfortable, like something isn’t right about a problem or choice.
- You’re sure about a decision, and it proves to be the best choice.
- You know the answer to something without any previous knowledge.
Is intuition flawless?
No, it isn’t always accurate. People are led astray by their biases or bad judgment. So, avoid jumping to conclusions.
I recommend using logic along with intuition. When you get sudden inspiration, build the pathway with logic.
Ways to improve your intuition:
1. How well do you use intuition?
“The only real valuable thing is intuition.”
— Albert Einstein
People with certain personality types use their intuition more often. If you want to learn a wealth of information about yourself, take the Myers-Briggs test. Comment your personality type below too!
I’m an INFJ which means I run mainly on Introversion (I), Intuition (N), Feeling (F), and Judgment (J). So, I use introverted intuition.
You can learn a ton about a person by knowing their personality type. Some people are naturally more intuitive, and each type uses it differently.
2. Decide to use your intuition
“Everyone who wills can hear the inner voice. It is within everyone.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Everyone has intuitive abilities that they can enhance with practice. Studies show that the more people used their gut feelings, the stronger these sensations became.
Unfortunately, some people ignore it. Then they pay the price for not using it. So decide today to start listening to yours.
3. Be mindful of your body and enhance your intuition
“Pay attention to your vibes and trust your gut. We all are born with intuition.”
— Jen Mazer
Your intuition tries to get your attention by causing sensations in your body.
When you make a decision, pay attention to how you feel. Are you full of energy or weighed down and stressed?
4. Journal about what your intuition tells you
Journaling is a remarkable tool to discover who you are and where you want to go. Also, you can write about any insights you have, and those can lead you to the solution of seemingly impossible problems.
5. Ask yourself questions
“Intuition is the supra-logic that cuts out all the routine processes of thought and leaps straight from the problem to the answer.”
– Robert Graves
When faced with a challenge, why not ask your brilliant insight on what to do?
Here are some example questions to ask your intuition:
- “What’s my gut feeling about this?”
- “How do I feel about this situation or choice?”
- “Does this go along with my core values?”
- “What thought keeps popping up in my mind?”
- “Does this person seem trustworthy?”
So, the next time you encounter an obstacle, see what your intuition says you should do. How else will you find the answers you need if you don’t ask?
6. Meditate
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
— Albert Einstein
You’ve got to slow down and be calm to gain clarity because you can’t force intuition.
That’s why many “Eureka moments” happen in the shower or bath.
Meditation allows your inner thoughts to speak. Furthermore, it’s helpful because you aren’t distracted by all the nonsense in the world.
So, remove all distractions and sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Then breathe in deeply, moving only your stomach.
Now, think about a situation, person, or problem that you want to understand better. After a few minutes, is there anything your stomach or heart is telling you?
7. Get into the flow state
“It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception.”
— Albert Einstein
Intuition is a medium for the subconscious to communicate with you. But the conscious mind is much louder, so it needs to be quiet. When people are busy with something, the conscious mind calms down so they can get into the flow.
So, do whatever activity gets you in “the zone” and immerse yourself in it. Being in the flow state of mind shuts down a lot of the overpowering conscious mind. As a result, your genius subconscious can take the reins.
8. Stop overcomplicating things
“Don’t try to comprehend with your mind. Your minds are very limited. Use your intuition.”
— Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
Intuition allows you to make split-second decisions subliminally, so your conscious mind doesn’t have to work so hard.
Intuitive people skip past many steps to find the answer in the blink of an eye.
We tend to make things complicated when they don’t have to be. Stop trying so hard and get out of its way. It knows what to do.
Detach from the potential outcome and let your it go to work.
9. Try feeling more than thinking
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
— Steve Jobs
Intuition doesn’t understand logic or facts. Instead, it speaks the language of the subconscious via feelings. People tend to think more than they feel. But sometimes, thinking can run you in circles and steer you off course.
Your intuition is the real you, and it knows the most rewarding path you should take. But be aware that your cognitive brain will try to stifle those valuable perceptions. So, don’t let that happen.
10. Pay attention to body language and facial cues
“Our intuition is like a muscle, we must practice listening to it and trusting its wisdom. When you take the time to ask and keep listening for the answer, being at peace becomes easy.”
— Lisa Prosen
Practice your intuition by paying more attention to people’s body language and facial cues. What messages are you getting? Write them in your journal, so you remember. You might find out that someone you trust is a compulsive liar.
With practice, you’ll spot liars without even trying. I’m not too fond of these types, and luckily my intuition shines a spotlight on them immediately.
11. Listen to your gut
“Intuition is the whisper of the soul.”
— Jiddu Krishnamurti
Your gut does much more than you might think. It even has intelligence. Forbes says that leaders need a smart gut as much as IQ and EQ (emotional intelligence).
The gut sends neurons, neurotransmitters, and hormones through the vagus nerve. These pass through the heart and to the brain. That’s why you can feel intuition in your heart and your gut.
These signals can be feelings of nausea, butterflies, or tension. So, don’t ignore what your body is telling you. Chances are, when your brain doesn’t have the answers, your gut and heart do. All you have to do is listen.
12. Gain wisdom from past mistakes
“The intuitive mind is where our genius resides.”
— A. Artemis
Recall events that didn’t go well. What will you avoid? Did you ignore any red flags or bad feelings beforehand? How will you react the next time?
13. Spend time alone
“Intuition is perception via the unconscious that brings forth ideas, images, new possibilities and ways out of blocked situations.”
— C.G. Jung
If you’re lucky enough to have some precious time to yourself, then take it! Solitude is infinitely valuable for discovering who you are and what you want.
14. Get outside
“A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.”
— Lao-Tzu
Take a walk by yourself and listen to your thoughts. Don’t stress out obsessing about how to fix a problem because intuition is effortless.
So, relax and walk in nature, and you might have the perfect solution before you get home.
15. Test your intuition
“The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it Intuition or what you will, the solution comes to you and you don’t know how or why.”
An excellent way to practice using your intuitive side is to test it. So, when you get a feeling about something, write it down and see if it happens.
For instance, I’ve predicted events that repeatedly happened on this blog. I’m not a woo-woo kind of person, so I’m not saying I’m psychic. It’s just intuition, and it gets stronger with practice.
So, keep refining your intuitive nature by using it. Write down how you feel about people on TV and then Google it to see if you were right.
Also, you can take this fun quiz to see how intuitive you are.
In short, intuition isn’t magic or psychic powers. Everyone has it, and with a bit of effort, you can fine-tune this valuable skill.
Please pay close attention to sensations in your body and take action on them. If you ignore their warnings, you might pay a hefty price for it.
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