Decoding Your Inner Voice: Is It Anxiety or Intuition?
I never really considered the difference between anxiety and intuition until my late 20s. By then, I had put a name to my anxiety, and acknowledged that the “truth” i’d been living out was in fact a subjective view of reality based on past experiences that saw particular situations and people as “threats”. Before this realization, I didn’t question whether what I was hearing from the voices in my head was anxiety or truth, and I definitely didn’t stop to ask: Is this intuition or anxiety talking?
As I started to understand my anxiety more deeply—recognizing the signs and symptoms—it became easier to distinguish when my reaction was anxiety-based or something else entirely. Sometimes, I’d get an “answer,” but it wasn’t accompanied by racing thoughts, tension, or fear. It didn’t feel chaotic. Instead, it felt calm and quiet, like a gentle nudge.
This nudge felt similar to anxiety in that it provided me with an “answer,” but it wasn’t yelling at me or catastrophizing. It felt more like a hidden truth, something deep and insightful that I couldn’t fully rationalize but knew intuitively. I couldn’t always explain why a particular person or situation didn’t feel right, but I simply knew it.
This was intuition. And it’s fascinating how, once you start exploring intuition, you realize it’s like a muscle that can be trained and strengthened over time through conscious practice. If you’re curious about tuning into your intuition, here are some ways to tell when it’s intuition talking instead of anxiety:
Intuition is quiet, anxiety is loud
Intuition feels clear, peaceful and brings a sense of relief. Anxiety feels chaotic, tense, and uncertain.
Intuition is grounded, and focused on the here and now. Anxiety is panicky, and more future-focused.
If you’re still unsure whether it’s intuition or anxiety, try asking yourself:
Is this thought repetitive and spiralling (anxiety) or brief and clear (intuition)?
Do I feel rushed, panicked, or desperate to act (anxiety), or is there a calm urge to move in a particular direction (intuition)?
Am I ignoring my values out of fear or insecurity (anxiety), or do I feel drawn toward choices that align with my authentic self (intuition)?
When you learn to identify these distinctions, you can start trusting your intuition (your inner wisdom) with greater confidence!
