Is It Your Anxiety Or Intuition?: 3 Simple Ways To Tell What Your Gut Is Really Saying

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emotions, feelings, Tammy Adams, intuition, anxiety, Natalie Moore — Source: Yuliia Kaveshnikova

Anxiety and intuition can feel very similar, as doubt, fear, and dread are feelings that can stem from both emotions. If you’re finding it difficult to tell the difference between the two, licensed marriage and family therapist Natalie Moore and life coach Tammy Adams, say there are three strategies to help you recognize and navigate both emotions as they begin to surface.

1. Slow down and breathe.

During an interview with HuffPost published on April 22, Adams shared that it’s important to hit the pause button and slow down when anxiety and intuition kick in. According to the life coach, taking a deep breath will help you to “create space to examine your initial reaction.” Adams explained that intuition often emerges when you allow yourself to be perfectly still, dialing into your emotions. On the other hand, anxiety tends to rear its ugly head in times of urgency.

“Intuition and anxiety can sometimes feel similar, but they come from very different places within us,” Adams explained. “Intuition is usually quiet and steady. It’s a gentle, grounded sense of ‘knowing’ that isn’t wrapped up in fear or urgency. It often feels calm, clear, and neutral, like an inner guide offering insight without pushing or panicking you.”

Anxiety, on the other hand, can feel downright “overwhelming” and at times, even “chaotic” she added.

“It often feels urgent, chaotic, or fear-based like your mind is racing to prepare for every worst-case scenario.”

2. Take note of how anxiety and intuition make your body feel.

Moore added that our body will begin to display key signs when we are experiencing anxiety versus a moment of intuition. Mayo Clinic notes that anxiety can often feel jarring, making an individual feel nervous, restless, or tense, as well as a sense of impending doom or panic. Physical symptoms may also occur, the therapist explained.

“Anxiety is felt as intense body sensations that can create real physical symptoms such as digestive issues, a racing heart, or shallow breathing,” Moore shared. “Intuition, on the other hand, while you might experience it as a ‘gut feeling,’ is much more subtle.”

To decipher between the two, take note of how you’re feeling at that moment. Keep a journal nearby so that you can jot down the emotions that are bubbling up.

“For example, ‘I feel overwhelmed,’ ‘I notice a buzzing sensation in my forehead,’ and ‘I’m biting my lip,’” Moore said. “Simply labeling emotions and sensations helps to regulate the nervous system.”

When your palms are sweaty and your chest feels tight or heavy, take a moment to acknowledge those intense physical sensations. Moore says these feelings are often clear signs of anxiety. In contrast, if you notice a sense of calm or feel grounded in your body, that’s often a clue you’re tapping into your intuition.

3. Investigate where your feelings are coming from.

Once you’ve taken a moment to pause and tune into your body and emotions, it’s time to explore whether what you’re feeling is anxiety or intuition. Start by examining the source of the sensation. Is it a response to something happening right now, or is it rooted in fear about a hypothetical future? Intuition tends to arise in response to the present moment, while anxiety is often fueled by imagined scenarios or patterns from the past, Adams shared.

The investigation phase is also a good opportunity for you to get curious about your inner world and how you typically respond to stress or uncertainty. Anxiety often shows up as catastrophic thinking, imagining the worst possible outcome, and feeling an urgent need to act. If your thoughts revolve around “If I don’t do this, something bad will happen and I won’t be able to cope,” you’re likely dealing with anxiety rather than a grounded inner knowing.

“Notice the stories that are playing out in your mind,” Moore said. “Are they fear-based and do they demand immediate action? If your thoughts sound like ‘If I don’t do [x], then [y] will happen, and I won’t be able to handle it,’ then it’s probably anxiety talking.”

According to Adams, intuition often comes in “quick” and “quiet bursts” that offer insight into something you’ve been thinking about for a while.

“It’s like a brief reminder that gently lingers in the background, sometimes accompanied by little signs or synchronicities that seem to affirm it,” she added.

Anxiety Or Intuition?: 3 Ways To Tell What Your Gut Is Saying