WHAT’S YOUR GUT TRYING TO TELL YOU? 4 REACTIONS TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO

Your gut is capable of sharing an all-knowing feeling that drives your actions and decisions. Get to know what your most common positive and negative responses mean.


BY: REGAN WALSH

Have you ever felt like you’ve lost your intuition? If you can’t seem to find that sense of inner knowing that typically helps you navigate the unknown, my guess is you’ve likely stopped listening to your gut.

Perhaps you tuned it out before because you didn’t like what it was telling you.

Don’t apply for that job—it’ll make you miserable.

Stop taking on so many clients—the money isn’t worth your sanity.

Or maybe you’re simply unfamiliar with how your gut communicates. But the truth is, you need to put your antennas up.

Our gut speaks to us in moments of positivity and negativity. It’ll tell you when something’s a no, or something’s a go. Here are a few ways your gut might be trying to tell you something.

1. You feel instant dread.  

When we make decisions without thought or intention, we often experience instant regret—that nagging feeling of foreboding. We ask ourselves, Why did I agree to this? And we do that because we didn’t ask the question before we made the commitment. Dread is a gut reaction, a quick and easy way to recognize that we’ve made the wrong decision and should perhaps shift gears.

2. You feel laser-focused.

Often, when something is jiving with your gut, it’s almost hard to stop thinking about it. Your next steps are in clear focus, and you show up for yourself like never before, tackling tasks and achieving goals with a concentration most would envy. It’s not that it’s easy—it’s just that your gut knows it’s worth it.

3. You have physical pain.

Our gut will often take desperate measures to get our attention, manifesting as bodily pain to let us know something isn’t quite right. If you hate you 9-to-5, you may even feel physically sick on Sundays or on your morning drive. If you routinely tune out your gut, you may find yourself with acute shoulder or neck tension. Take note of these pains, and try to draw connections.

4. It’s easy to be silly.

Ever make a big decision and then find yourself feeling almost silly with joy? Silliness could be your gut’s way of celebrating the promise of bigger things to come. Enjoy the moment, blast some Beyonce, and dance!

When it comes to how we use our expendable resources — time, energy—our gut is always talking.

My friends, don’t forget to listen.

Adapted from the original article.
HEADER IMAGE: RODION KUTSAEV

Regan Walsh is an NYU-certified life coach and speaker who focuses on helping women who are over-programmed and underwhelmed, reclaim their lives, both personally and professionally. She is located in Columbus, Ohio and coaches women from all over the world. Regan contributes to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and has been featured in FAST Company,  Elite Daily, Bustle, Smart Business, and Columbus CEO.