Is It Intuition or Anxiety? How to Tell the Difference
We all know the feeling, that kind of rush of urgency in the body before a big decision, the flutter in your chest when you're not sure what choice to make - or simply something in your body that feels just not quite ‘right’ before meeting a particular friend. But how do you tell whether it’s anxiety speaking… or your intuition?
They can sound surprisingly similar. Both speak from inside you. Both show up in moments that matter - and always for a reason. But their tone, their pace, and their intention are often very different.
So let’s get into it - how do they feel? We’re all uniquely different - so there isn’t a blueprint as such. But let’s explore tends to be the common thread in the two.
What anxiety can feel like
Anxiety often comes with a sense of pressure. It’s fast, loud (it may feel like a yell), and sometimes spinning. It wants resolution now - like, yesterday. In the body, it might show up as tightness in your chest that affects the breath, a racing heart, or a clenched jaw.
Anxiety is your nervous system trying to keep you safe, it does actually have your best interest at heart. There is a reason, and in many ways, it’s incredibly wise. But it doesn’t always point to the full truth of the moment. It’s more about survival than clarity. It’s typically coming from a pattern, or a tape that may be old now - and it hasn’t been updated. It wants to immediately protect you without really listening.
What intuition can feel like
So with intuition, this tends to be quieter. It doesn’t rush, yell or panic. You might feel it as a soft sense of knowing, a peaceful feeling in your chest or belly, or a grounded “yes” or “no” that doesn’t require explanation. You just, know. Intuition isn’t trying to convince you one way or the other than something is ‘right’ or ‘wrong, it just is. And therefore, sometimes it even goes against logic, but still, it feels calm and steady in your body. It’s not really playing the role of the ‘protector’ like anxiety does, it’s more just a knowing that is within you.
A quick self-check
Despite laying out the differences like this - it doesn’t mean that it’s all of a sudden easy to distinguish. Only you can know - and it may take time and practice to be able to know in your body what is anxiety, and what is intuition. If you’re unsure - it may be worth asking yourself some questions while you’re in the moment. Just take some extra time to stay in what you’re feeling, even when it’s uncomfortable to enable you to get some clarity.
Here are some examples of what you could try:
When I think about this decision, do I feel panic… or peace?
Is my body tense and urgent… or quiet and grounded?
Am I trying to solve something… or sense something?
Try not to worry about if you are reading your signals perfectly. You’re not going to get it right each time, and sometimes it may feel too overwhelming to try. There is absolutely no harm or shame in that. But when you can, just getting a little bit more curious each time and staying present will eventually allow you to be able to discern your truth.
I talk about this in my podcast episode, if you’re interested.
Reframing
So let’s summarise with something more simple - and something I’ve been learning and loving lately:
Anxiety isn’t the opposite of intuition. Instead, it can be helpful to think of it as an invitation to meet your intuition!
When you meet your anxiety with attunement, curiosity, compassion, and presence you may find it begins to soften. Because your end goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety - anxiety will always be and it’s not something you can get rid of forever. It holds a purpose. The goal is to listen to it and get curios, and let it guide you toward your deeper whispers, needs, and wants.