• 00:00 A Plane in Crisis: The Power of Intuition
  • 00:24 Understanding Intuition: Trusting Your Gut
  • 01:19 Guest Introduction: Brittney Carmichael
  • 02:28 Developing Intuition: Practice and Challenges
  • 03:07 Balancing Logic and Intuition
  • 04:42 Childhood Influence on Intuition
  • 05:35 Personal Journey: Embracing Intuition
  • 07:27 Practical Tips for Tapping into Intuition
  • 09:16 A Pilot’s Story: Life-Saving Intuition
  • 11:44 The Gift of Fear: Trusting Inner Wisdom
  • 15:35 Connecting with Brittney Carmichael
  • 16:51 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Intuitive Thought vs Inner Wisdom vs Anxiety: How to Tell the Difference and Trust Your Gut

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Intuitive Thought vs Inner Wisdom vs Anxiety: How to Tell the Difference and Trust Your Gut

Hey there! If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re feeling genuine intuition, tapping into your inner wisdom, or just getting caught up in anxiety, you’re not alone. We all experience those moments when we’re trying to make sense of that inner voice. But how do you know when to trust your gut and when to take a step back?

On today’s episode of Love, Happiness and Success, I spoke with Brittney Carmichael about intuitive thought, inner wisdom, and anxiety—and how to tell the difference between them. If you’ve been looking for clarity, whether you’re a highly intuitive individual or someone who’s learning to trust your instincts, this is for you. Let’s get into it!

What is Intuitive Thought?

Intuitive thought is that gut feeling you get—the one that nudges you in a particular direction without any obvious reasoning. It’s a quick, instinctive sense of knowing that happens in a flash. Many intuitive individuals tend to describe it as a quiet yet powerful force that comes out of nowhere, guiding them toward certain decisions or actions.

For example, have you ever been in a situation where something just didn’t feel right, even though you couldn’t put your finger on why? That’s your intuition talking. It’s not a loud, anxious voice; it’s calm, clear, and subtle, which is why it can be easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.

Examples of Intuition:

  • You suddenly feel compelled to take a different route home, only to find out later there was a major accident on your usual path.
  • You get a gut feeling that a certain job offer isn’t the right fit, even though everything looks good on paper.
  • You feel an urge to call a friend, and when you do, you learn they were going through a tough time and needed support.

These are all moments when intuitive individuals tend to trust their gut feelings—without needing logical evidence to back them up.

How to Develop and Recognize Intuitive Thought

If you’re wondering how to develop your intuition or how to recognize when it’s at play, it’s all about tuning into your body and quieting the mental noise. Here are a few tips:

  1. Practice mindfulness: By staying present and being more aware of your thoughts and feelings, you can better tune into the quiet voice of intuition.
  2. Listen to your body: Intuition often communicates through physical sensations—whether it’s a sense of calm, a gut feeling, or even a lightness in your chest.
  3. Trust the nudges: The more you act on your intuitive feelings, the stronger they become. Start with small decisions and build your confidence in trusting your instincts.

What is Inner Wisdom?

While intuition is a quick, instinctive sense, inner wisdom is something deeper, more deliberate, and rooted in experience. It’s the part of you that reflects on life lessons, past experiences, and the broader perspective of your values and beliefs. Inner wisdom often arises from self-reflection and takes time to develop.

If intuition is like a quick, insightful flash of knowing, inner wisdom is like the steady lighthouse guiding you through life’s storms. It’s informed by the totality of who you are—your experiences, knowledge, and reflections.

For instance, if you’re facing a tough decision, inner wisdom might show up as a calm, thoughtful voice that encourages you to slow down, weigh your options, and make a decision that aligns with your long-term goals. It’s less about immediate action and more about making choices that resonate deeply with your personal values and life experience.

Feeling stuck? Take my FREE quiz to find out what’s holding you back!

How Inner Wisdom Differs from Intuition

  • Intuitive Thought: Quick, immediate, and based on a feeling or a hunch. It’s not something you have to analyze.
  • Inner Wisdom: Reflective, thoughtful, and based on cumulative life experience. It’s often the result of careful self-reflection and the lessons you’ve learned over time.

Intuitive individuals tend to balance both—trusting their quick instincts when appropriate, while also leaning on the wisdom they’ve gained through life experiences.

What About Anxiety?

Now, let’s bring anxiety into the mix, because this is where things can get tricky. Anxiety can feel like intuition, but there’s a key difference: Anxiety tends to be fear-based, noisy, and overwhelming. Unlike intuition, which is calm and clear, anxiety stirs up racing thoughts, worry, and worst-case scenarios.

Anxiety often shows up when we’re afraid of uncertainty or when we’re feeling pressure to make the “right” decision. It can cloud our ability to hear both our intuitive thought and our inner wisdom, leaving us feeling confused and uncertain.

How to Tell the Difference Between Intuition, Inner Wisdom, and Anxiety

Here are some key ways to differentiate between the three:

  • Intuition: Feels quick, subtle, and clear. It doesn’t demand attention—it simply arrives with a quiet sense of “knowing.”
  • Inner Wisdom: Feels calm, thoughtful, and grounded. It encourages you to reflect on your life experiences and values to make decisions.
  • Anxiety: Feels noisy, chaotic, and fear-driven. Anxiety pushes you toward overthinking and often leads to indecision or avoidance.

How to Trust Your Gut Without Getting Caught Up in Anxiety

If you’ve ever struggled with whether to trust your gut or whether you’re just being anxious, here’s what I recommend:

  • Pause and Breathe: Take a deep breath and give yourself a moment to calm your mind. Anxiety thrives on chaos, while intuition and inner wisdom arise in stillness.
  • Check Your Body’s Cues: Anxiety often shows up as tightness, racing heart, or shallow breathing. Intuition feels different—it tends to bring a sense of calm clarity, even if the decision ahead is challenging.
  • Reflect on Your Experiences: If you’re still unsure, ask yourself: Does this feel like a reaction based on fear, or am I tapping into something deeper and wiser within myself?

Final Thoughts on Intuitive Thought vs. Inner Wisdom vs. Anxiety

Learning to distinguish between intuitive thought, inner wisdom, and anxiety is a process. The more you practice tuning into your inner voice, the easier it becomes to trust yourself—whether you’re relying on a quick flash of intuition or a deeper well of wisdom.

As intuitive individuals tend to discover, trusting your gut isn’t about being perfect or always making the “right” decision. It’s about knowing when to listen to that quiet, calm voice inside you—and when to acknowledge the noisy fear of anxiety for what it is.

So the next time you’re facing a tough decision, ask yourself: Is this my intuition guiding me? Am I drawing on the deep wisdom I’ve cultivated? Or is this anxiety trying to steal the show? You might be surprised at how clear the answer becomes.

If you’d like to discover more about what’s keeping you stuck, I invite you to take my free quiz by clicking the link here: What’s Holding You Back? 

And hey, if you want to talk through your unique situation, I invite you to schedule a free consultation call for coaching or therapy. Let’s connect!

Also, follow me on Instagram and YouTube for upcoming live streams where I dive into these topics in even more depth. It’s a great way to stay connected and get real-time advice on your journey to growth and healing.

xoxo,

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

P.S. Know someone else who could benefit from this advice? Share this article with a friend. Let’s spread the love, happiness, and success far and wide.

Resources:

Remmers, C., & Zander, T. (2018). Why you don’t see the forest for the trees when you are anxious: Anxiety impairs intuitive decision making. Clinical Psychological Science, 6(1), 48-62.

Epstein, S. (2010). Demystifying intuition: What it is, what it does, and how it does it. Psychological Inquiry, 21(4), 295-312.

Epstein, S. (2010). Intuition and decision-making. Intuição e decisão, 29.

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