6 Small Ways To Listen To Your Gut Before You Regret Ignoring It
Dean Drobot | Canva What would you do if you had a guarantee that you wouldn't fail? Would you take more risks to reach your dreams? As humans, we're a perfectly calibrated structure of innate wisdom. The brain, gut, and heart are all sources of intelligence, and we can access that information to catapult us to our highest potential.
We've all experienced a gut instinct. An inkling that told us to turn right when the grocery store was on the left. Maybe you changed flight plans at the last minute and discovered the airline had later canceled your original itinerary. Even if you can't recall an obvious instance, you can probably remember a time when you instinctively knew a situation wasn't right and needed to leave it.
Those gut feelings are real intelligence. The enteric nervous system uses over 100 million neurons to send protective messages while communicating with the brain. The heart holds our emotions and intuition, emitting an electromagnetic field that allows us to read and receive information about the world around us. As Dr. James Gordon, founder of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, explains, the mind and body are essentially inseparable: the brain, nervous system, endocrine and immune systems, and all of our emotional responses share a common chemical language and are constantly communicating with one another.
So why don't we automatically tap into all of this? Daily distractions drown it out, and a lack of confidence in our own hunches causes us to ignore them. But once you make a deliberate intention to listen to what you already know, it isn't difficult. Here are six moments when your gut is worth paying attention to.
Here are 6 ways to listen to your gut, before you regret ignoring it:
1. Listen to the language your gut uses
Nini FromParis / Unsplash+
Watch what you say. If you hear yourself or someone else saying “I feel it in my gut” or “I put my heart into it,” your body is telling you something you're expressing. Your thoughts just haven’t caught up.
Transformational coach Jean Walters explains that your body cannot lie the way your mind can. When you notice physical sensations of ease or tension in response to a situation, that's your intuition giving you a clearer answer than your rational mind often will.
2. Notice the specific signals your gut sends you
Getty Images / Unsplash+
When you have a hunch about something, pay attention to how you experience it physically. Knowing your signals will encourage you to react quickly in the future. Do you get a sinking stomach, an easing sensation in the chest, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, or become dizzy? Author Jonah Lehrer, in the book How We Decide, explains that dopamine neurons in the brain alert us to subtle patterns when they don’t match our conscious reality.
According to research, emotional experiences leave physical cues in the body, and when a similar situation comes up, the body recreates that sensation to guide decision-making before conscious reasoning kicks in. Learning to recognize your own physical signals is learning to read the language your nervous system is already speaking to you in.
3. Keep a log to build trust in your gut
Ivana Cajina / Unsplash+
Intuition coach Ronnie Ann Ryan recommends starting small and low-pressure to build trust in your gut. This consistency is what teaches you to recognize and rely on your own intuitive signals over time. Write down all the times you act on your instincts, and they serve you well. Seeing the proof will affirm and encourage you to continue, and it will astound you with its frequency.
4. Tune into your three gut intelligences
Getty Images / Unsplash+
Ask yourself what your brains are saying to you. Originally adapted from an exercise by Alan Seale, author of Create A World That Works, sit comfortably and relax, or meditate and think about the topic you’d like to have considered by your three intelligences.
Research from the University of New South Wales found that people's brains can process and use unconscious information to make faster, more accurate decisions. This intuitive ability actually improves over time with practice, meaning it's a skill you can actively strengthen, not just a feeling you either have or don't.
Start with your heart — breathe, relax, and ask: What does your heart have to tell you? Continue with your gut and head. Take a minute to listen for any more information from all three.
5. Try practices that connect your mind and body
omid armin / Unsplash
When you practice specific therapeutic actions strengthening the mind-body connection, which helps you stay connected to what your gut is telling you, you not only reinforce the link between them, but you also reinforce your ability to notice the interconnection. There are countless methods to choose from, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Release (MBSR), meditation, creative arts therapies, yoga, qigong, and hypnosis. One will be sure to suit your disposition and inclination.
6. Commit to trusting your gut
Milles Studio / Unsplash+
Accessing what you know isn’t difficult. It just takes practice, and practice takes commitment. Commit to listening to what your gut is already telling you. Just commit to listening. Then, act on it: listen.
Trusting your gut isn't about making a single bold decision, intuitive coach Aimee Leigh argues. It's about developing self-trust over time by honoring the physical sensations and inner nudges that arise, even when they don't immediately make logical sense.
We are still at the beginning of learning what the body-mind connection has to teach us. The fields of neuroscience, neurocardiology, and neuropsychology are relatively young. Each year, if not month, more discoveries are announced. Putting new theories into practice takes time.
This is your proof now that you do have a built-in safeguard that keeps you safe. You will succeed, so take those risks! Just trust your instincts and follow your heart. By incorporating your intelligence, you’ll be tapping into the intelligence and wisdom that's waiting for you.
Jan L. Bowen is an author, coach, keynote speaker, thought leader, and facilitator with over 25 years of successful corporate leadership, specializing in helping individuals find their balance.
