Walking through life, we are often faced with important life decisions. Emotions and question marks often arise within us at such moments. In emotional matters, when we meet a new partner, sometimes we wonder about his honesty, sometimes doubts arise whether this is the man for us. In professional matters, too, we may have considerations like - is the job for us, won't the new place be better?
Anxiety and doubts arise whenever we feel that we are ready for a new stage of life. They are a constant and natural accompaniment for each of us. Although it is not uncommon to confuse anxiety with intuition, which is not an emotion in itself, but a kind of inner voice guiding us on the right track.
So what is the difference between anxiety and intuition? How do I distinguish between them?
Anxiety is an emotion that originates in the body and is directly connected to the need for survival. Anxiety can paralyze, but it is also, in many cases, a motivating factor for action. Fear of poverty, old age or rejection drives much of the world to constant action. When we are focused on anxiety, we become slaves to it. In such situations, fear turns into obsession, which becomes a source of high stress. Fear is an emotion that every person, without exception, feels from time to time. Yet if it begins to dominate lifestyles, it becomes an important constraint. Anxiety because it is an emotion that originates in the human body, it can be felt in a physical way, e.g. through muscle tension, stomach pain, headaches, jitteriness, etc. Anxiety is felt as discomfort in the body combined with negative thinking.
Intuition, on the other hand, is not an emotion, but an inner voice that we hear or sense in a very subtle way. It is a function of our brain that is only turned on when emotions are quieted and when there is no stream of thoughts in the head. Only in silence and stillness are we able to awaken our so-called sixth sense, or our intuition, whose main task is to guide us on the right track.
Anxiety will therefore be associated with an inner feeling of resistance, negative thinking and reluctance before taking a given action or the need to put up a fight, to prove something. Making decisions under the influence of anxiety will always be associated with feelings of stress and tension.
Intuition, on the other hand, unlike anxiety, motivates and inspires us to take given steps in a natural and positive way. So, when you are facing an important life decision, sit in silence and stillness for 10 - 15 minutes and try to feel your body. When you think about a new path - a new job or a new relationship - what do you feel in your body? Stress and tension or excitement and readiness for a new phase of life? If you feel anxiety, it means that you need time for inner nurturing and rebalancing, for calming down and activating the voice of your own intuition within you. You can do this, for example, by taking a walk in nature or practicing meditation.
