Telling the difference between intuition and fear can be challenging. Both can come across as a distinct "gut feeling," and your intuition may certainly call upon fear during specific situations. Learning the difference, however, has its benefits, as discernment can help you solve problems more effectively and live more congruently within your value system.
Understanding Your Fear Response
Everyone gets scared, and fear is a survival instinct rooted in keeping you alive. Your brain constantly scans the environment to determine various threats. When it detects a threat, it activates the fight-or-flight response system, driving various physiological and emotional responses.
Some of the most obvious physical symptoms of fear include:
trembling or sweating
panic attacks or impending feelings of doom
increased heartbeat
facial blushing or feeling of heat in the face
shaky voice
chest tightness
Fear tends to feel like a panicked response, and this fear gets heightened via uncomfortable intrusive thoughts. Fear may coincide with self-doubt like, There's no way I can do this, or other limiting beliefs like, This situation can't possibly be safe! Moreover, even if you struggle with some irrational fears, you may feel convinced that something bad will happen if you don't take immediate action.
Understanding Your Intuition
Your intuition refers to an inner compass guiding you to make sense of what you need and prefer in daily life. Your intuition also offers valuable information about your personality- when you can listen to this inner knowing, you tend to feel more settled and aligned in your daily life.
Your intuition can be both quiet and firm: Where fear tends to be loud, intuition can be quiet and even subtle. However, it tends to be clear. There's a sense of truth underlying this inner guidance.
Your intuition may be body-based rather than cognitive: There's a reason that people often talk about their "gut feeling" when describing their intuition. This speaks to the interconnection between the mind and body. You may note certain physical sensations telling you what to do or not do.
Your intuition feels like a compassionate form of guidance: Fear can feel panicked and pressured. You listen to it because not listening to it feels catastrophic, or you're anxious about the worst-case scenario. Intuition, on the other hand, tends to feel more grounded and gentle.
Your intuition is less interested in what happened in the past: Fear often lives in past experiences or even past trauma. Intuition is more interested in what's happening in the present moment or what lies ahead in your future.
How to Choose Between Fear and Intuition
Choosing between your fear vs intuition isn't always straightforward. Many people need to strengthen their self-awareness and practice patience to improve their decision-making.
First things first- there's nothing wrong with feeling afraid. You can't control your emotions (or other people's emotions). You can only control how you respond to them.
Here are some steps for how to decide:
Ask yourself how scared you feel on a scale from 1-10: Quantify your fear to identify how intense it feels. Try to avoid any self-judgment; you're not a bad person if you feel nervous about something. However, it can be helpful to understand what your fear may be telling you.
Imagine letting fear dictate your choice: Let's say you want to apply for a new job, but you note feeling a '6' on a fear scale from 1-10. If you listen to this fear, you won't apply to the job. Let yourself sink into that experience and note any thoughts or feelings that arise from making that choice.
Imagine letting intuition dictate your choice: Now imagine that your intuition is telling you that you should apply for the job, even if you feel afraid. You know you're qualified, and the job duties seem interesting. Do the same exercise and let yourself truly imagine the experience. Like before, note any thoughts or feelings that arise.
Give it 24-48 hours: Fear often makes even small decisions feel urgent. If your gut instinct is to do the opposite of what your fear is telling you to do, pause. Wait a day or two to see if anything changes. This break can offer a much-needed sense of clarity.
Take one small step: One difference between fear and intuition is that fear is focused primarily on safety and intuition is more focused on growth and fulfillment. Taking the tiniest step out of your comfort zone, however, can offer you important data about what your intuition needs right now.
Managing Anxiety and Other Mental Health Concerns With Resurface Group
At Resurface Group, we understand that intense emotions may be impacting your quality of life or perpetuating low self-esteem. Excessive fear is a common symptom in many mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, PTSD, OCD, and other trauma-related disorders, depression, and more. If you're unable to cope with certain fears, you may struggle to enjoy the present moment or feel like you can't move past a limited comfort zone.
We are here to support your recovery and help you learn how to work with your fear adaptively. Contact us today to learn more about our programs.
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