What ‘YES’ feels like to you
Everyone can relate to the feeling of just knowing something without knowing how you know it. Some call it the sixth sense, others call it a gut feeling or intuition and many people have felt it to some extent at least once in their life. For most of us this sixth sense is much more sensitive to recognising things which are wrong for us, things not in alignment with our life’s trajectory. But we can also learn to utilise this gift for understanding when something is actually right for us. If you’ve ever struggled to decide between two or more options, chances are you could much more easily tell if an option was obviously wrong for you. But what if all of them seem fine enough and you are trying to decide which one was actually RIGHT for you? The good news is, you can learn to understand your inner voice signalling when something is truly right for you.
These signals can manifest in different ways for different people. There’s a reason we use the term ‘gut feeling’ to describe this sense of knowing in modern forms of communication as it manifests as an actual ‘feeling’ in your gut for many people. For others, this ‘gut feeling’ is actually a ‘lower back feeling’ or a ‘big toe on my right foot feeling’. Some people associate their sixth sense with colours, so they might get an impression of the colour yellow when thinking about the option or path that is right for them. The list goes on and on. There’s a wide variety of ways your inner voice can make itself known to you.
So, a first step you can take in tuning into what’s going on inside is spending some time each week reducing noise that clouds your system from the outside. Modern media, a constant influx of information and sensory stimuli and a societal belief to always do more, work more and achieve more is leading to a system overload. It creates a constant background buzz, which can make it very difficult to hear your inner voice at all, let alone trying to decern what it is actually trying to tell you. So here are some easy, low threshold ways you can reduce outside chatter and make space for your inner voice to be heard:
- Spend time in nature.
Nature has been scientifically shown to have a positive impact on our nervous system and our mental health as a whole. Spending time outside in nature will strengthen your parasympathetic nervous system and take you out of fight or flight mode, calming your mind and creating space for introspection. It is important to note here, that I do not mean for you to simply grab your phone, tablet or laptop and sit outside listening to a podcast or watching a show. Instead listen to the sounds of nature around you, look at the flora and fauna, feel the breeze. Your mind will thank you for it!
- Go for walks/hikes regularly.
We have all heard that exercise is not only good for your physical health but also your mental wellbeing. It doesn’t always have to be an intense workout though! Low impact movement combined with some fresh air (preferably in nature) can do wonders to quite your mind and calm down your nervous system. But remember: no podcast, audiobook or music.
- Find a ‘low-impact’ activity
I mean an activity that’s ‘low-impact’ for your nervous system (cooking, cleaning, baking, painting, gardening, knitting, dancing, …). This will be different for everyone, and it is important that you find something that’s enjoyable for YOU. I would recommend you search for an activity with repeating motions where you stop thinking about anything else and just focus on the task at hand. Something that can get you to an almost meditative state.
- Actually try meditating.
I know a lot of people feel like meditation is just not working for them. Either they have tried and felt like they failed at what they believe meditation is meant to be like, or they have never tried and simply think it won’t work out for them based on what they think meditation is supposed to be. I am here to tell you that meditation is not meant to be ‘perfect’. It looks completely different for everybody and is always a ‘work in progress’ (for everyone!). Start out with a 5min guided meditation or breathing exercise (there are many free options available on the internet) and don’t overthink it. Just give it your best shot and always remember: consistency is key!
This is just a short list of actionable steps you can take and implement in your life on a weekly basis to help you make space for your inner voice to be heard. After that, the only thing you need is free: time. It will take time for your nervous system to adjust to this new level of normal and to develop the security it takes and the space it needs for your intuition to flourish. Be gentle with yourself and keep taking small steps, the rest will follow.