How Your Intuition Can Help You Make Smart Decisions
Ways in which Intuition draws us towards Smart Decisions
When and how to trust your gut instincts
Today I have another wonderful guest post to share with you all…
Trishna Patnaik has a BSc (in Life Sciences) and MBA (in Marketing) by qualification but is an artist by choice. A self-taught artist based in Mumbai, Trishna has been practising art for over 14 years. After she had a professional stint in various reputed corporations, she realised that she wanted to do something more meaningful.
She found her true calling in her passion which is painting. Trishna is now a full-time professional painter pursuing her passion to create and explore to the fullest. She says, “It’s a road less travelled but a journey that I look forward to every day.” Trishna also conducts painting workshops across Mumbai and other metropolitan cities in India.
Trishna is an art therapist and healer. She works with clients on a one-on-one basis in Mumbai.
Trishna fancies the art of creative writing and is dappling her hands in that too, to soak in the experience and an engagement with readers, wanderers and thinkers.
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When times are stressful, every decision can seem monumental. It can be challenging to make big decisions. Like whether to leave a secure job for a risky one. But also to make smaller decisions – like whether to have chicken or fish for dinner.
Often, we intuitively know what we want to do, but we end up overthinking and get stuck in uncertainty. The best thing to do in those moments is to use your knowledge, experience, and yes, your intuition. This enables you to make a firm decision and trust that it’s the best one you could have made at the time. However, this is easier said than done.
Here, are four actionable tips to help you access your intuition and make decisions with less stress:
Make big decisions when you are relaxed
It is never advisable to make important decisions when emotions are running high. When we are anxious, angry, sad, or worried, our instinct is often to get rid of the feeling right away. But the short-term solutions we find do not always benefit us in the long run. Instead, we will get the best intuitive guidance when we are relaxed. Taking a few slow, easy breaths will help your nervous system settle and if the answer is there, it will reveal itself.
Write down the pros and cons
When you cannot make up your mind about what to do, jotting down the pros and cons can be helpful as a visual guide. It will allow you to look at the decision more objectively what could go right, and what could go wrong. It allows your mind to take in the full picture. Having done that, just trust your gut.
Do your research
Contrary to how it is sometimes portrayed, trusting your intuition does not mean abandoning your critical thinking skills. If you are unsure about your gut instincts, you can seek out advice from trusted friends, family, or professionals. While taking their perspective in, be sure to remember that your opinion is the one that matters most. After all, the decision you make will primarily affect you. By doing your due diligence you can feel confident that your intuition is guiding you towards an informed decision.
Practice using your intuition
You can hone and strengthen your intuition by practising with small decisions, like which restaurant to eat at. Give yourself permission not to overthink small decisions and go with what seems right at first. Try not to worry about whether you made the “right choice,” and just accept the choice for what it is. If that feeling of worry does come, simply sit with it, and practice becoming comfortable with the uncertainty. Once you have had practice trusting your intuition in low-stakes situations, you will feel more confident harnessing it during monumental moments.
