Intuition vs Logic: Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Intuition
Here's a question for you: How can we get out of our heads and into our intuition knowing?
Being a thinker
I have always been a thinker. Some of us are naturally 'feelers' and some 'thinkers' by nature. I'm very reflective, full of ideas and thoughts, diving deep into things. If I don't articulate my thoughts, I feel as though I might pop! As a child, I was constantly told "you think too much!" To which my internal response was always: "You don't reflect enough…(!)."
As opposites attract to balance, I married a 'feeler'—we are quite obviously different breeds of people. He'll happily snuggle up with feelings, saying "aw" and giving them a warm hug (or me), whilst I would, by nature, rather pepper spray them and brush them into a clean box to look at.
The tendency remains, but I've really had to learn to feel my feelings differently. I approach it all very differently these days. When my feelings become overwhelmed by successive challenging experiences, they can still suddenly stack up and feel too overwhelming. I'm sensitive, and they can feel really big, messy, and numerous. I don't like that. I like clarity and calm.
Now, instead of bottling it all up, I'm honest about my feelings, I acknowledge them, and I get help if I need it—rather than hiding and pretending everything is perfect, only to have a breakdown or come close to one.
The Roots of Overwhelm
What feeds this habit is, of course, my childhood. Feelings didn't feel safe to feel as a child. I definitely couldn't express them safely. I didn't feel safe in my body; I felt under threat. Instead, I:
Managed the feelings and emotions of others to stay safe, becoming a counselor and confidant
Neglected my own feelings to prioritize those of others
Navigated my way up into my head to reason away "inconvenient" feelings—I was stuck and needed to cope
Tried to escape huge panic or rage by numbing and climbing into my mind to rationalize my experience
I eventually developed trauma symptoms by my teens, which were finally processed in my 30s. Your history might be different, but the habit of neglecting our own feelings and needs for the sake of others is a staple for many highly sensitive people.
Becoming a Clearer Vessel
Over time, I worked through those internal layers, and my self-awareness increased massively (I hope!). I began to read more clearly what I was picking up about people, my environment, and situations.
I became a clearer "intuitive vessel." The more productive I am in terms of what I pick up for my clients, the more confident I am in the intuitive information I'm receiving—because it's not getting confused with old fears or triggers.
Understanding the Overwhelm
What feeds the overthinking for highly sensitive people is that it's easy to get confused about how you're feeling and what you're thinking. Due to your sensitivity to other people's experiences, situations, and environments, you might:
Get flooded by the emotional experience of others
Care deeply and naturally empathize, connecting with people acutely and feeling their feelings
Absorb the emotions of others because of this sensitivity
Navigating up into the mind can be a natural way to try to understand and filter what you're experiencing—to gain some distance or reason out what you're feeling. Avoiding people can be another way to try to gain control over your experience. Or you might find yourself burning out, processing the pain of others as well as your own, because you've been over-giving.
Does any of that sound familiar? There's a reason I now have a cabin, don't commute, and see clients for only two days a week. Looking after myself is non-negotiable.
The Gift Within You
Here's the thing though: when we learn to drop into our intuitive awareness for answers rather than jumping up into our minds, the true answers become clear. Being willing to come back to the body, trust our feelings, and act on the intuitive hits we're receiving—without thinking our way out of the knowing that might be arising—this is where the magic happens.
By choosing to listen to my intuition and drop into my body rather than analyse, I learned:
To trust and honor my voice and feelings, to give them space and priority—because I can't help anyone if I can't function
To stop my head from overruling my intuitive feelings and nudges
To trust my "gut" and instincts about people and situations, even when it's inconvenient
To stop overthinking, pause in the silence, and create space for my intuitive feeling, seeing, voice, or knowing
My inner authority and self-confidence grew, beginning to shine as my intuition kept coming true
Building the Relationship With Your Intuition
All of this, of course, takes practice. This turning toward intuitive knowing, quietly listening, opening to a feeling—it's like trying to build a relationship with a stray cat at times: illusive, untamed, mostly unseen to begin with. No kinship at first. Gradually, you catch more glimpses of it, getting to know its movements, its looks, its rhythm. A relationship begins to develop. Trust and connection grow.
As a highly sensitive person, your intuitive skills are already there. You just need to trust them, nurture them, learn to listen, honor what you sense, filter the information, and learn to trust yourself.
Get out of your head. Get into your body. Listen to your intuition.
If you want help getting there quicker, my Intuitive Development Training Level 1 is coming up soon. I'm happy to get on a call with you to chat and answer any questions you might have.
