Anxiety vs. Intuition: How to Tell the Difference
Have you ever walked away from a decision wondering, Was that my intuition… or just anxiety talking? You’re not alone.
The tension between anxiety and intuition can be confusing, especially in moments that feel emotionally charged or high-stakes—like making relationship decisions, navigating conflict, or trying something new. Both can show up as a “gut feeling.” Both can sound urgent. Both can tug at your attention with the same intensity. So how are you supposed to know which to trust?
The good news is: there are ways to tell the difference. And learning to recognize your internal cues with more clarity can help you build trust in yourself and reduce the overwhelm that anxiety often brings.
Let’s break it down.
First, What is Intuition?
Intuition is your internal compass. It’s the quiet, sometimes inexplicable knowing that something is right or wrong, even when you can’t quite explain why. It’s built from your past experiences, patterns you’ve picked up on over time, and the subtle signals your nervous system notices before your brain can fully process them.
You might experience intuition as:
A grounded gut feeling
A sense of calm clarity or certainty
A subtle "pull" toward or away from something
A quiet voice that doesn’t beg for attention, but feels wise when you listen
It tends to come from a centered place—even when it’s alerting you to a red flag.
What About Anxiety?
Anxiety, on the other hand, is rooted in fear. It’s a response designed to keep you safe from real or perceived threats. It can be triggered by situations that remind you of past harm, uncertainty, or overwhelm, even when those situations aren’t dangerous in the present moment.
You might recognize anxiety by:
Racing thoughts or catastrophic thinking
A pounding heart or tight chest
A need to urgently figure things out or “fix it now”
Overanalyzing every possible outcome
Anxiety often feels like a warning bell going off inside your body. And while it's meant to protect you, it can drown out your intuition with its urgency and volume.
Why is it So Hard to Tell Them Apart?
Because both anxiety and intuition are felt-senses, meaning we experience them through sensations, emotions, and nonverbal cues it’s easy to confuse the two. Especially if:
You’ve experienced trauma or have an anxious attachment style
You were raised in an environment where your needs or instincts weren’t validated
You're in the habit of second-guessing yourself
You're in a high-stress period of life
In short: if your nervous system is often in fight-or-flight mode, anxiety might be running the show more than intuition. And because anxiety can mimic the urgency and “pull” of intuition, it takes intentional awareness to sort them out.
So, How Can You Tell the Difference?
Here are some reliable ways to begin telling whether you're hearing from intuition or anxiety:
1. Check the tone
Intuition is usually calm, neutral, or quietly firm. Even when it’s alerting you to danger, it tends to speak in a grounded way, like a steady guide pointing out a red flag. Anxiety, however, is often frantic, loud, repetitive, or overwhelming. It can feel like it’s shouting at you to do something right now.
Ask yourself:
Is this voice grounded, or is it spiraling?
2. Notice your body
Intuition often shows up as a subtle body sensation: a pull in your chest, a tightening in your stomach, a quiet resistance or attraction. Anxiety, in contrast, tends to hijack your body completely: racing heart, tension, restlessness, shakiness, nausea.
Try this:
When you're not in crisis, spend time noticing how your body reacts to “yes” or “no” situations. Ask simple questions like:
“Do I want tea or coffee?”
“Do I feel drawn to this person or not?”
Noticing these small bodily responses helps train you to recognize your intuitive signals later, when things feel less clear.
3. Ask what’s fueling the feeling
Anxiety often has a story attached: If I don’t respond right now, they’ll leave me. If I take this risk, I’ll fail. If I trust myself, something bad will happen. Intuition, meanwhile, usually doesn’t come with a dramatic narrative, it just feels like a knowing.
Ask yourself:
Am I trying to avoid discomfort or protect myself from a fear? Or is this just something I know in my bones?
4. See if the feeling persists after you’ve calmed down
One of the simplest ways to test whether you’re experiencing intuition or anxiety is to wait. After a good night’s sleep, a grounding walk, or even 10 deep breaths, does the feeling remain?
If it's intuition, it usually stays with you, calmly.
If it's anxiety, it often fades or shifts as your body returns to a regulated state.
5. Practice with hindsight
Think back to a time when you “just knew” something, and were later proven right. What did that feel like in your body? Now think of a time you spiraled in fear and it didn’t come true. What was different about that moment?
The more you reflect on past situations, the easier it becomes to distinguish the energy of intuition vs. anxiety in real time.
A Note About Trauma and Intuition
For those who’ve experienced trauma, learning to trust your gut can be even more complex. Sometimes your body becomes hypervigilant, sensing danger where there isn’t any, while at other times, dissociation might blunt your internal warning signals altogether.
This doesn’t mean you’re broken. It just means your nervous system has been working overtime to keep you safe.
If this sounds familiar, it might help to work with a trauma-informed therapist to reconnect with your body in safe, manageable ways. Over time, you can rebuild the bridge between yourself and your intuition, even if it feels distant now.
Exercises to Strengthen Your Intuition
Like any skill, tuning into your intuition takes practice. Here are a few simple ways to start:
✦ Mindful body scans
Spend 5 minutes each day checking in with your body—no agenda, just noticing. Where do you feel tension? Where do you feel ease? Getting reacquainted with your body is key to hearing its wisdom. Learn more about these skills in our Mindfullness and Meditation as Tools For Mental Health Blog.
✦ Journaling with both voices
Write down a dilemma. Then, write out what your anxious voice is saying. Next, write what your intuitive voice might say. Notice the tone, energy, and content of each. This can help you externalize the confusion and see more clearly. Explore our blog: Benefits of Journaling For Your Mental Health to learn more.
✦ Slow down your decisions
Give yourself permission to pause. Most of the time, decisions aren’t as urgent as anxiety makes them feel. Taking a beat creates room for intuition to speak up.
In Closing: You Can Trust Yourself
If you're someone who frequently asks, Is this fear or a gut feeling?, know this: just asking the question is a powerful first step. It means you’re developing self-awareness, and that’s where clarity begins.
Distinguishing between anxiety and intuition isn’t about getting it perfect. It’s about becoming curious. About creating space in your body and mind to listen. About learning, little by little, to trust your inner wisdom.
And even if that voice feels faint or unfamiliar right now, it’s there. You just might need to quiet the noise to hear it again.
Therapy for Anxiety in Raleigh, NC
Our therapists at Your Journey Through are trained to help you reconnect with your inner voice, understand your nervous system, and feel more grounded in your decisions. Whether anxiety has been ruling your life or you’re simply trying to rebuild self-trust, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Reach out! We're here to walk with you.
Our compassionate therapists provide a nonjudgmental, supportive space to help you feel grounded, seen, and equipped with tools to move forward. Whether you're brand new to therapy or returning after time away, we're here to meet you right where you are.
We believe that healing begins with understanding, and that no one should have to walk this path alone.
If you’re ready to have your first session in a safe, compassionate space, consider reaching out to one of our therapists or learning more about what we have to offer.
If you’re not sure which therapist to book with, email us at hello@yourjourneythrough.com or call 919-617-7734, and we’ll help match you with the best fit for your needs and circumstances.
Book your appointment today. Healing starts with one brave step.
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