Have you ever experienced your mind racing throughout the day? It can be difficult to trust your gut when there is so much noise around you. You are not alone if you find it difficult to trust your intuition. It's crucial to first ask yourself this question before deciding to believe your gut: What is causing the gut feeling—instinct, terror, or something else entirely?

How does intuition vary from anxiety, and what is it?

The ability to understand something instinctively without using conscious reasoning is referred to as intuition. That vague knowing is it. It is the result of all of your rational thought, drawn from all of your experiences, and is too complex to comprehend separately in a short instant. Your sixth sense is your intuition.

On the other hand, anxiety is defined as "a sensation of worry, uneasiness, or unease, usually regarding an impending event."

Choosing to believe in your gut is a choice.

It's a choice to listen to your intuition rather than your anxieties. But when worry is present, making a choice is quite challenging. Your intuition is speaking when you notice small emotional or physical indicators that suggest you have a "hunch" about something. When you're nervous, your body's physiological reactions take precedence over your intuitive feelings. Studies have demonstrated that anxiety impairs our ability to make decisions. When we are anxious, we have lower self-esteem and less trust in other people, and we avoid even the most necessary risks. Anxiety still hurts safe and straightforward selections.

Fear gives way to anxiety, which is frequently a response to an imagined threat. It is a blatant attempt to protect ourselves from damage. Sometimes anxiety prevents us from engaging in potentially harmful dangerous activities; frequently, it prevents us from doing things because of unjustified anxieties. When you experience intense anxiety, it usually stems from a sense of threat or fear. You don't feel threatened or afraid when you have intuition; it just appears to you suddenly. Try to consider where your thoughts are truly coming from and be honest with yourself if you are experiencing anxiety and assume that your thoughts are intuitive sensations. You can differentiate the two with this.

There is a dizzying whirlwind of thoughts and feelings when anxiety or terror is being activated. Give yourself a break and stop for a moment. Breathe. Allow your initial reactionary thoughts to calm down and your uncomfortable feelings to fade. You may begin the process of separating your worry from your thoughts from your intuition once you permit yourself to be still. Compared to thinking, intuition can be more subdued, therefore you must have faith in it.

Consider which decisions are based on instinct and which ones you're drawn toward because you want the discomfort to go away as you become more aware of which thoughts are emotionally charged.

Since intuition arises from a quiet, focused state that is free from emotion, it can be objective to the energy or messages that are received. Being conscious of ourselves is a process that leads to trusting our intuition. A state of racing heart and frazzled nerves is brought on by anxiety, which is shouting, vibrating, and unbalanced energy.

Learn more about how to manage anxiety by working with one of our therapists at Paper Cranes Counseling.

Shavonne James, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Therapist and founder of Paper Cranes Counseling, a private group practice connecting wellness seekers with culturally-affirming, holistic, care. They have openings for individuals that are working through matters of identity, interpersonal relationships, and the inner child. Contact them at www.papercranescounseling.com