We all have gut feelings in reaction to different situations. This is how we feel initially when an issue is present in front of us without being influenced by external opinions. Gut feelings are usually inspired by past experiences or your general internal thought process.
The feeling is personal, and even though we are sometimes unable to put into words exactly how we feel at the moment, trusting your gut is a pretty big deal. Listening to your gut can help you make important decisions in life and get you through tough situations. Here are tips on how you can take your gut into account.
- Pay attention. Gut feelings mostly come from past experiences, and the best way to understand what your gut is feeling about a particular circumstance is to pay attention to it! Notice your interactions with others and take into account how you feel about those interactions.
- Don’t calculate or negotiate your feelings. How you feel about a situation at first is probably your most valid reason why you want to or don’t want to do something. When listening to your gut, don’t start to weigh in other factors that might counter your thoughts. Listen first, don’t negotiate.
- Allow your thoughts to wander. In your own time, think about what you want your life to be, map out plans in your head, and be imaginative. This way, when you do finally find yourself in situations that require a quick reaction and your gut instinct, you know you will be more prepared.
- Revisit your day. Sometimes, we do not react the way we want to when we face a specific situation. Revisiting your day helps you check out how you responded to signals from your brain, and how you worked with or without your gut.
Listening and trusting your gut feeling is one of the highest levels of trust you can have with yourself. With these tips, you can relate to, listen to, and understand your gut instincts even better.