Our Intuition
It’s midnight. You’re lying in bed, and you’ve had a tough day. You can’t fall asleep because your brain is still firing as it tries to figure out a solution to a thorny problem at work. You can’t understand why you can’t solve it. So you turn on the light, and you get your phone to research solutions, or a pad of paper to sort out pros and cons. Still - no answer.
If you are like many of us, you rely on your cognitive processing first and foremost. You likely try to think your way through a solution, leaning on analytical and critical thinking skills. Of course, this makes sense - it’s a huge part of how we rose to our level of success! So it can be frustrating when a solution does not arise.
But what if there are different ways of knowing? Often we tell our clients - “You’re smart. If you could think your way through this, your brain would have already come up with the solution. What are some other ways of knowing that you aren’t utilizing?” What if your body and spirit were also heralds of decision-making intelligence? How do you tap into them, utilize them, and more importantly, easily access them in times of tough decisions? What if your gut instinct, which has served humans through evolution, has wisdom and is a tool kit that is yet untapped?
If you struggle with overthinking and accessing different ways of solving problems, here are some tips to shift from head to heart:
Journal. The act of writing down your thoughts can help alleviate the intensity of holding all the thoughts in your head. You may just be surprised as to what arises when you put words from your mind to paper. The process of translating your internal thoughts to written processing can lead to astounding insights.
Breathe. Meditation helps regulate breath and surge hormones and supports efforts to listen to your body. Even 5 minutes can help.
Move. Literally, move your body. Go for a walk, work out, stretch, dance.
Nature. As shared in the above podcast, being in nature returns us to our evolutionary past and how our brain evolved to make decisions. Step outside for a few minutes. Be in nature, feel the sun, see the greenery. Lay on the ground.
Be intentional. If we think of full knowing as accessing mind, body, and spirit, be intentional in the inquiry as to what knowledge you haven’t uncovered from your body and spirit. Sometimes this explicit act of curiosity directs your attention to these other aspects, unearthing additional insights and perspectives.
Share with us what your results and findings are!
