You may have heard the phrase “feelings aren’t facts.” This is often said with the intention of helping a person to stop worrying about something that might not happen. However, the “gut feeling” is a very real experience, and your intuition can contain important messages.
Sometimes it might tell you to set a boundary or avoid a person or situation, but it’s not always a bad omen. Your gut may tell you to take an opportunity or advocate for yourself. Our gut feelings come from several sources: they may reflect intuition — or they could stem from anxiety or trauma.
In this article, we’ll talk about what gut feelings are and ways to determine what they’re really saying.
The science behind gut feelings
There’s a scientific component to gut feelings and an emotional component. The gut and the brain are intimately connected via the nervous system, and the gut is sometimes called the “second brain.” This is why you may have an upset stomach or indigestion when you’re feeling nervous. People who have digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be more likely to experience depression and anxiety. We literally “feel” things in our stomach because this part of the nervous system responds to emotional changes.
Our brains are always processing information on a subconscious level, sort of like mentally composting the things we’ve seen, thought, and experienced. Intuitive thought works instantaneously, while conscious, analytical thought is much slower. It also takes more effort, while intuitive thought seems to happen on its own. Our intuition helps us navigate social situations, recognize patterns and learn from past experiences.
Our stress response is sometimes an early warning that tells us something is off, either physically within the body, in our environment or with another person. When we get these feelings, there are real chemical reactions happening: our endocrine system releases stress hormones that cause physical sensations. Some people are more sensitive to these signals than others, but we all have them.
Emotional intelligence and intuition
What makes gut feelings sometimes unreliable is that we’re human and imperfect. Our gut feelings can be influenced by personal beliefs, or they can be responses to past traumas. They can sometimes lead to overreactions if we don’t pause to reflect. They can also be right on and function as protective warnings. Getting to know your patterns and reflecting on how past experiences have affected you can help you spot anxieties that may not be rooted in the current reality. Learning about healthy relationships, red flags for unhealthy behaviors and interpersonal skills can help you know how to work with your gut feelings in social situations.
Gut feelings rooted in traumatic experiences and anxiety tend to feel like they’re coming from a place of fear or panic. Are you already upset, as if the thing has happened or it’s unstoppable? Are you having physical anxiety symptoms like a racing heart or shortness of breath?
Is your fear something that’s likely in the current situation, or are you really responding to something that happened a long time ago? Having trauma responses and anxiety doesn’t necessarily mean your present-day fears are unfounded or imaginary. It just means your response is colored by past experiences.
Gut feelings that are protective often don’t have the same emotional charge as those that come from fear conditioning. You may have a harder time tracing where the feeling came from. We can’t always know whether our intuition is alerting us to real danger, but we can make educated guesses.
It’s also good to consider how potentially helpful or unhelpful the warning is. Working with a licensed clinical therapist can help you process and validate your internal experiences. They can help you learn how to break down your thoughts and feelings and build confidence in your judgment.
Get to know yourself and your gut feelings
It takes discernment to know when you should trust your gut and when you should focus on self-care and resilience. Getting to know yourself well, seeking treatment for mental health conditions and learning about different types of gut feelings can help you sharpen your judgment. Learning when and how to trust your gut can lead to stronger decision-making and self-awareness. Often, a balance of intuitive and logical thinking is the best approach.
Reflecting on your gut instincts often and testing your intuition in small ways can help you work on your discernment. Try taking a moment to scan your body for sensations before going to an event or right after meeting someone. If your gut feelings are overwhelming or stressful, or if you just need some structure and direction, you may benefit from seeing a therapist.
At Lightfully, our licensed clinicians provide personalized and comprehensive mental health treatment. We see you as a person first, not a diagnosis. Our clinicians use Lightfully’s Precision Care Model (PCM) to help you manage four core processes: your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships.
When you’re ready to take the first step, we’re here to help you take the next. Contact us to talk about what you’re experiencing and how we can help.
