‘Trust your gut’ is common advice when we are faced with a decision. But why would we do that? What does our gut know (intuitively) that our conscious self doesn’t? Perhaps more than we know. Have you ever decided to do something and felt deep inside that it was the wrong thing to do? Has it nagged you and left you unsettled even when you try to ignore it? That’s your gut instinct talking.
So, how can we learn to listen to our gut and trust it knows what it’s talking about?
In her article, How to Stop Overthinking and Start Trusting Your Gut, executive coach and author, Melody Wilding says “When you approach a decision intuitively, your brain works in tandem with your gut to quickly assess all your memories, past learning, personal needs and preferences and then makes the wisest decision given the context. In this way, intuition is a form of emotional and experiential data that leaders need to value.”
Gut instinct comes from the connection between your gut and your brain, bringing everything you know, like, believe and feel together, which is why you should trust it in real-world situations.
Your digestive system is made up of 100 million neurons, all connected to your brain. They are connected to your brain for a reason!
Intuition is a form of emotional and experiential data that we can all utilise
When an answer comes to you, listen, it might just be the right answer. Logic is powerful but intuition brings an added dimension
If you combine your logical thought with your gut instinct, you can make more accurate decisions
Try not to over-think your decisions, trust your instincts more and let them guide your thought and decision process
We are our own experts
Malcolm Gladwell produced a seemingly convincing way of thinking about this combination of mind and gut in Outliers with his 10,000 Hours theory where he uses the example of an art expert examining work to see if it’s a fake. Their ‘instinct’ isn’t a guess or esoteric message from the beyond, it’s based on data, on hours and hours of experience all collated and channelled into what we call ‘expertise’.
No one knows as much about us than us, with expertise built up from years of experience. We know more than we think we do but often we don’t take the time to listen, to tune into what our insides are telling us. Slowing down helps, taking time to think and removing external pressures.
To develop strength in intuition, achieve clarity and bring new knowledge, give your mind time and space to wander.
Trust your instincts
We often come up fresh ideas and solutions when we aren’t thinking about them – picture Archimedes and his Eureka moment in the bath – and intuition works the same way. Stop thinking and listen. Charles Darwin had a circular path built in his garden to do just that; physically wander, let his mind drift and focus on the things around him, not the problem.
We humans are not natural risk-takers, we have a tendency to over-think our decisions, making it much more difficult for ourselves. We don’t know what we don’t know and that can be nerve-wracking to know and hard to accept. But we can’t know everything. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith or, to put it another way, jump and accept that we might fall. Trust your gut.
“While intuition is not perfect, it’s also a decision-making tool you’re likely underutilising. You’ll probably be surprised to find that your gut is a more powerful decision-making tool than you may have realised.” Melody Wilding.
That’s why trusting your gut can be helpful when making career decisions. Give your brain a break from the pressure and use your instincts to make those difficult choices, you’ll know what to do.
If you’d like to tune into your gut and utilise your intuition, why not book a session of Career Therapy to help you? Contact us for a free intro chat via the website, send me an email or book directly. What’s stopping you?
Photo by David Clode on Unsplash
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