Understanding Anxiety and Intuition: What's the Difference?

 

Understanding Anxiety and Intuition: What's the Difference?

Graphic Description: Bubbles and sparkles in pink and purple. Block text title "How To Tell If It's Anxiety Or Your Intuition?!"

Maybe it's anxiety. AND, maybe it's actually intuition. Let's explore the difference together.

    As a someone who works with teens and YA's, not to mention, being a ZEELENIAL, I understand that anxiety and intuition are two concepts that can often feel confusing and overwhelming. I'm curious if anyone else has ever experienced these emotions ALLOT, like on the daily, but may not fully understand the difference between them.
    

    Growing up in a society that promotes only super positive and fluffy emotions as the normal can make distinguishing all the other feelings difficult if not impossible. I know that if I wasn't feeling amazing, happy, or "vibing" I was told that I was feeling bad. There was no further exploration of the emotions outside the few positive ones. They were all just grouped into the "bad" feelings category. End of story.
    

    Plot twist, there are lots of different emotions ranging in intensity, type, and noticeability. In this blog post, we'll explore the distinction between two common emotions that get intertwined, mixed up, and mistaken for each other- anxiety and intuition. We will also cover how to be mindful and observe these emotions as they arise, and I will provide some helpful and practical tips for managing both. Let's dive in!

What is Intuition?

    Intuition is our inner little, or sometimes really big, voice in the back of our minds. Sometimes it manifests in a gut feeling that gives you an indescribable sense of just knowing. It's like having this deep sense of clarity and impressions that can guide you in making decisions.

    Intuition is typically more calm, grounded, and relieving. It's like having a 6th sense ready to help you navigate life with confidence and trust in yourself. It's important to remember  that intuition is not based on fear or panic, but rather on a sense of resolve and certainty. So if you are feeling confident in yourself or an idea, and have no clue where that feeling came from, it very well could be your intuition shining through.

Understanding Anxiety

    On the other hand, if you are suddenly feeling an overwhelming mix of fear, worry, and possibly even physiological arousal, it's probably anxiety. That physiological arousal I just mentioned is basically just a fancy word meaning that anxiety, while it does start in your head, can actually manifest in your body leading to certain physical symptoms like a tightness in your chest, difficulty breathing, your hands may even start to tingle or you may find yourself needing to take a seat as the room may begin to feel as if its spinning. There are lots of other physical sensations that can occur as well, but those are just a few of the most common.

    Anxiety can be past-oriented, (rumminating- thinking about past events over and over) future-oriented, with worries about what might happen, or it can also be triggered by an imminent danger. Unlike intuition, anxiety is often accompanied by a sense of uncertainty and ambiguity. It can feel overwhelming and even panic-inducing. Anxiety can interfere with daily life and create distress, especially if left unmanaged.

Graphic Description: On top half of image "Definition of Anxiety"-Combo of fear, worry, and the actual feeling state of anxiety. It can be worry which is future oriented thoughts resistant to uncertainty and ambiguity. It can be fear, actual fear of imminent threat. It can be the feeling state of anxiety which is physiological arousal like difficulty breathing or sensations of tightness. On bottom half of image "Definition of Intuition"- It’s a deep sense. A knowing. Impressions. Clarity. 6th Sense. Even when related to fear or warning, intuition is more calm and grounded. It’s resolve. It’s in your gut. It’s typically relieving instead of panic inducing.

So How Can We Tell the Difference

    Distinguishing between anxiety and intuition can be REALLY challenging, especially when we are not used to really thinking about our emotions, but there are some key differences to keep in mind that will help us to recognize what feeling is coming up for us. Taking time to reflect on the thoughts and sensations that come up for us throughout our day is a great way to start being able to label and recognize our emotions. With a little practice, patience, and self compassion, we can cultivate a non-judgemental stance and learn to observe our feelings and understand why they come up VS avoiding and pushing them away. 

    Intuition tends to feel calm and clear, while anxiety can feel frantic and overwhelming. Intuition often provides a sense of resolve and confidence, whereas anxiety can be accompanied by doubt and fear. Additionally, intuition is typically based on an inner, deep sense of knowing, whereas anxiety may arise from negative thoughts or worries about the future or even a legit threat that is about to happen. So remember, intuition tends to be more of our brain's way of letting us know we are on the right track and giving us a thumbs up, kind-of like a mini cheerleader. And anxiety, is our brain's way of letting us know that something appears to be off, while this is not always the case, our body and brain alerting us that there is a potential threat and we should be ready to take action.

Managing Anxiety and Honoring Intuition

    It's important to remember that both anxiety and intuition are simply feelings, and all feelings deserve space and are valid. They can coexist, and it's okay to experience both. The key is to learn how to recognize them when they arise, and mindfully learn to manage anxiety while honoring our intuition in healthy ways. 

Here are 5 practical tips for learning to navigate these emotions:

1. Practice Mindfulness: 

We can learn to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judgment. *This is a skill that takes lots of continuous practice! It is not a skill that can be mastered overnight, unless you are a monk, and even then it would probably take a little bit of time. 

This means noticing our emotions as they are without attaching any positive or negative connotation to them. Simply recognizing and observing what is coming up can help us build up our awareness of when anxiety is creeping in and when intuition is guiding you.

2. Tune into your body: 

Tuning into our bodies is all about noticing how our bodies react in different situations. When we are anxious, we may experience physical sensations like our hearts may start to race, or our muscles may start to tense up and tighten. Maybe the jaw locks and our teeth begin to clench down. Or maybe we become very jittery and it becomes very difficult to sit still. But, When we are following our intuition, we may feel a sense of calm in our bodies. Or we may notice that we feeling more confident and our posture is straighter, our head is held up properly and higher than usual. We might even feel relaxed and tranquil. 

3. Challenge anxious thoughts: 

If you notice anxious thoughts popping up, there are a few things we can do with them. One option is to question their validity. I call this "Checking the Facts" which involves asking the question "Are the thoughts that are coming up based on facts or assumptions?" Then we interrogate our thoughts by using a "Fact or Fear" method to really put those anxious worries to the test. We can also practice reframing our anxious and negative thoughts into more positive and realistic ones. Reframing can be as simple as asking ourselves "What are the chances that X will happen?" or "How probable is the thought that I having?" Usually this helps us get some space between our thought and the intense emotions that are coming up. Challenging our thoughts and fears takes practice and time, AND this can be a helpful tool to have when our thoughts are getting the best of us.

4. Trust yourself: 

    Cultivate self-trust. That may seem like a daunting task, at least it did to me. I had no clue how to cultivate self trust as someone who struggles with self esteem and confidence. I started small. And I still do things like asking myself outloud "What is my inner Alexx saying to me?" Like literally. I find a space to be alone, so nobody thinks I'm crazy(crazier?), I pause and ask myself questions like I'm talking to an alternate Me. 

    This has helped me get in tune with listening to my inner voice and figuring out what my inner self is saying so that I can practice honoring my instincts. Sometimes I get clear guidance, and sometimes, I don't really know what the inner me is trying to tell me, but I know that the more I practice this activity and the more I honor my inner me, the easier it is to do the next time. 

    Remember that your intuition is a valuable tool that can help guide you in making decisions that align with your values and beliefs. Living aligned with our values is one of the most powerful thing that we can do for ourselves and mental health. Knowing what our inner voice is saying and how to listen is the first baby step to take in living our best values aligned life.

5. Seek support: 

    As always, if you are feeling like your anxiety is getting out of hand, too overwhelming, or you are starting to notice that you are no longer able to participate in your life fully due to your anxiety, don't hesitate to reach out to a trusted adult, counselor, or therapist for help. Therapy is amazing! Even some therapists seek out therapy. 

REMEMBER: There is no shame in reaching out for support from a professional. Talking to someone can also help with anxiety and get your thoughts out of your head. Professionals can provide you with additional tools and even more strategies for managing anxiety and tuning into your intuition. 

TLDR;

    Understanding the difference between anxiety and intuition is crucial for everyone as we navigate the ups and downs of life. By practicing mindfulness, tuning into our bodies, challenging our anxious thoughts, trusting ourselves, and seeking support when needed, we can learn to manage anxiety and honor our intuition. As always, you are not alone, and it's okay to ask for help when needed. Trust your gut, and embrace the power of your intuition in guiding you towards a more confident and fulfilling life aligned with your values. Cheers to living our best values aligned life!

XOXO,

Alexxandra Stark

    While Recovery Hype Girl is a wonderful space for ALL to gain access to mental health struggles and education around mental health and mental resilience, this is not therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy. Please refer to our recommended resources and help lines for additional support.