Trusting your gut instinct. That’s common sense. We do it all the time. Don’t we?
How many times have you been in situations where you’ve felt a little bit uncomfortable or uneasy? Everyone else thinks it’s a good idea and is on board with it, or loves the new person in your office. But for you there’s something that just doesn’t sit quite right. You can’t put your finger on it but you have a feeling that you can’t explain.
And because you can’t explain it, you’ll probably just ignore it. You’ll tell yourself that that you’re being mean, judging or paranoid, that you need to stop listening to those negative conversations you’re having in your head. The ones we all have that tell us we aren’t good enough, we might fail, or that someone else is better than us, so what’s the point in starting?
Not those. We all get those and they’re a form of self-sabotage. This isn’t your gut!
So how do you know that it’s your gut instinct talking and not just a negative saboteur? Here are two ways you can help filter out the useful from the negative.
1. Be aware of what you’re feeling.
Get curious about yourself. It’s easy and we’re all hungry to learn more about ourselves. That’s why those Facebook quizzes like “what colour am I?” and “what kind of cat would I be?” are so popular.
Get familiar with what your gut is telling you. It’s called gut instinct for a reason. That’s where the “fight or flight” theory came from. Its part of you and will always communicate via a feeling or an emotion rather than a thought. Forget about the negative thoughts, get used to listening to your intuition and to trust your instincts.
The best way to get started is to find a quiet and calm space during the day to check in with yourself and reflect on what you’re feeling. Not easy I know in a busy office with deadlines looming but it won’t take very long and once you start doing it more regularly, you’ll be able to do quicker each time.
When you get up to use the bathroom or make a drink, don’t immediately go back to your desk. Instead, take a couple of minutes to stop and look out of a window or stand outside.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and listen to what your emotions might be telling you. You don’t necessarily have to interpret them – just be aware of what you’re feeling. And if it’s a sick feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach, or a nervous feeling of anxiety then don’t dismiss it. You’re feeling it for a reason.
2. Be honest with yourself
Honesty is key – even if you can fool others don’t try and trick yourself. Even if you can’t put your finger on why something isn’t right, or why something makes you happy, just trust it. And consider the opposite action to the one you’re already doing or the one you’ve already committed to. How does it feel if you don’t do it?
Go with what feels right. Then notice what you’re feeling.
Often we are hit by an overwhelming sense of relief when we’ve made a choice that feels right for us. Bringing everything into your conscious awareness will help you be more objective and make it easier to make the decision that’s right for you.
If you found this helpful, then I have some excellent news for you – this is just a taste of the content and information I’m regularly sharing in The Leadership Confidential Membership group.
My aim is to help women who are working on themselves and striving for more and I realised I want to do more to help women get the success they really want. Especially in the workplace where women don’t always get the support they need to maximise their potential and to become the leaders they dream of being.
So I want to be able to help women on an ongoing basis, month after month.
Get in touch with me to find to how you can join a group of like minded women and get started today: jackie@jackiebooth.co.uk
