Dealing with anxiety can be tough and often leads to self-doubt. Anxiety is a common mental health issue that can make you worry a lot, feel scared, or even have panic attacks. 

But it’s important to know that anxiety doesn’t mean you can’t trust your gut feelings. Knowing how to trust your intuition when you have anxiety is something you can learn.

You can work on believing in yourself and your instincts even when you have anxiety. This is important whether you’re well-established in your career or just getting started. 

Having confidence in yourself and making intuitive decisions is key to finding success. In this article, you’ll find some tips to boost your self-assurance, which can be really helpful when anxiety tries to make you doubt yourself.

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of being really stressed out. It can be helpful when you need to be alert and focused in certain situations. But when anxiety sticks around all the time and makes you feel overwhelmed, it can hurt your well-being.

There are different types of anxiety disorders, each with its own features and symptoms. These include:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder 
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Phobias

Identifying the specific type of anxiety you’re dealing with is the first step in managing it effectively. Even though anxiety can be overwhelming, remember that you can trust your inner feelings and handle anxiety at the same time.

The Connection Between Anxiety and Intuition

Intuition is often described as that gut feeling or inner sense that guides us in making decisions. However, anxiety can make it hard to trust your intuition because it fills your mind with negative thoughts and self-doubt.

When you’re anxious, your mind is often filled with negative thoughts, worries, and self-doubt. This can make it tough to trust your judgment and instincts.

But here’s the good news: your intuition is still there, even when you’re anxious. It might just be a bit harder to access. Trusting your intuition while dealing with anxiety can be a powerful tool for dealing with anxiety and making smarter decisions in life.

The Power of Intuition in Decision-Making

The decisions we make in life often define our path and lead us to various destinations, both personally and professionally. Whether it’s choosing a career, making financial investments, or deciding on a life partner, the ability to make sound decisions is paramount. This is where intuition comes into play.

Intuition is a remarkable aspect of human cognition. It’s often described as;

• A gut feeling
• A hunch
• An inner voice that guides us, especially when faced with uncertainty

Intuition isn’t rooted in conscious reasoning. It results from our subconscious mind processing vast information, experiences, and emotions. In essence, it’s a powerful tool for decision-making.

However, when anxiety takes center stage in our lives, it can create a cloud of doubt that obscures our intuition. This relentless mental state can interfere with our ability to trust our instincts.

How to Trust Your Intuition When You Have Anxiety

Trusting yourself can be difficult if you deal with anxiety, especially if emotions start running high. Learning to trust your intuition when anxiety overwhelms you can be achieved through the following steps:

Practice Mindfulness

This means being fully present in the moment without judging yourself. It helps you notice your anxious thoughts without letting them take over. You can try things like:

• Taking deep breaths
• Meditating
• Doing yoga to be more mindful in your daily life.

Understand Your Triggers

Identify the situations, people, or events that trigger your anxiety. Knowing your triggers, you can be better prepared and make more intuitive choices in high-stress situations.

Seek Professional Help

If your anxiety is really bad and it’s making it hard to live your life, you should get help from a mental health expert. They can provide you with coping strategies and treatments, like therapy or medication, to manage your anxiety.

Self-Compassion

Be kind to yourself. Understand that everyone has moments of self-doubt and anxiety.

Practice self-compassion by acknowledging your feelings without self-criticism. This can help you access your intuition and make decisions without the added burden of self-judgment.

Journaling

Keeping a journal can be a helpful tool for tracking your anxious thoughts and patterns. Write down your worries, fears, and any intuitive hunches you have. Over time, you may start to see patterns and better understand when your intuition is guiding you.

Challenge Negative Thoughts

Anxiety often involves irrational or negative thoughts. Challenge these thoughts by asking yourself if they are based on facts or driven by fear. Learning to differentiate between intuition and irrational anxiety is essential.

Build Self-Confidence

Confidence in yourself and your abilities can enhance your intuition. Engage in activities that make you feel competent and capable. Achieving small goals can boost your self-esteem and help you trust your intuition.

Connect with Supportive People

Surround yourself with friends and loved ones who understand and support your anxiety. Talking to someone you trust can provide a different perspective on your situation and help you access your intuition.

Positive Affirmations

Use positive affirmations to counteract negative self-talk. Repeat phrases that empower and uplift you, such as “I trust my intuition” or “I believe in myself.” Over time, these affirmations can become ingrained in your thinking.

Visualization

Visualize yourself successfully using your intuition to make crucial decisions. This practice can help build your confidence and improve your intuitive abilities.

Believe in Yourself

Believing in yourself is fundamental to trusting your intuition, especially when you have anxiety. Often, anxiety makes us doubt our abilities and instincts. To overcome this self-doubt, you need to believe in yourself.

Acknowledge Your Strengths

Make a list of your strengths and accomplishments. This exercise can help boost your self-esteem and remind you of your capabilities.

Set Achievable Goals

Start with small, achievable goals and gradually work up to bigger ones. Each accomplishment will reinforce your self-belief.

Positive Self-Talk

Replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations. Remind yourself of your capabilities and that you are worthy of trust.

Celebrate Your Successes

When you make a decision based on your intuition, and it turns out well, celebrate your success. Positive outcomes will reinforce your trust in your instincts.

Why Trusting Your Intuition Matters

In situations with high stress, you often need to make quick decisions. Trusting your intuition can help you make choices without overthinking, which is especially useful in situations where you need to decide fast.

Intuition can provide creative and unique solutions to problems. It taps into your hidden knowledge and experiences, letting you see things from different angles.

Trusting your intuition, even when you’re anxious, can boost your self-confidence. It shows that you believe in your ability to make the right choices, no matter how anxious you feel.

Anxiety often leads to overthinking and worrying too much. Trusting your gut feeling can help you make decisions more easily, which can make your mind clearer.

By relying on intuition, you can reduce the stress that comes with making decisions. It makes the process smoother and less emotionally draining.

Trusting your intuition, even when you’re anxious, is a big step toward believing in yourself. It can make you feel more powerful and self-assured.

Intuition can be especially helpful when things are changing quickly. Trusting your gut feeling lets you adapt quickly and change as the situation changes.

Your intuition can help you assess risks better. It often takes into account your past experiences and insights, giving you a better view of the potential outcomes.

Using your intuition in your decision-making, even when you’re anxious, can improve your well-being and success in many areas of your life.

Anxiety Treatment Options

While the tips mentioned above can help you trust your intuition despite anxiety, it’s also essential to consider treatment options. Anxiety treatment can give you the tools and strategies to manage your condition effectively.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a widely used therapeutic approach for anxiety. It helps individuals identify and challenge irrational thoughts and behaviors contributing to anxiety.

Sometimes, medication prescribed by a healthcare professional may be necessary to manage severe anxiety. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are standard options.

Incorporating healthy lifestyle changes, such as:

• Regular exercise
• Balanced diet
• Adequate sleep can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms

Joining a support group can connect you with others who are going through similar experiences. Sharing your challenges and successes can be therapeutic and help you trust your intuition.

Embracing Intuition Amid Anxiety

Trusting your gut feeling in the midst of anxiety can be very helpful. Remember, even when you’re anxious, your gut feeling offers its wisdom. Trust it for clarity, quick decisions, and stronger self-belief.

The partnership between intuition and anxiety paves the way to a more confident future. Believing in yourself and seeking help when needed is important for managing anxiety and improving your ability to trust your intuition.

Trust Your Intuition

Knowing how to trust your intuition when you have anxiety can be challenging. But if you use these tips and tricks, you’ll quickly be well on your way to trusting yourself.

Ready to take your life, career, and relationships to the next level by learning to trust yourself? Schedule a free consultation with Therapie to get started.