The power of a woman’s intuition & trusting your gut
I know as a woman we have power. My intuition tells me so, but I’m not always sure what to do with it.
Understanding Intuition
What is intuition? And why do women seem to have a stronger “gut feeling” than most men?
According to Oxford Languages, intuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. It’s also described as a thing that no one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling.
It seems biased (maybe even bold) to claim as a woman that a man’s intuition isn’t as prominent, but as I’ve gotten older, I can’t help but become keenly aware of my growing intuition that many of the people, especially males, around me seem to just not have.
I can feel when things are going to go wrong. It’s like my spidey senses go off every time I’m around anyone or anything that my body considers dangerous.
I can read certain situations from a mile away. Whether I’m directly involved or being nosey and eavesdropping, I can almost feel the energy radiating off people. When my intuition tells me to run, for the most part, I listen to it.
This intuitive feeling can also show up in other ways. I know what you’re going to say—you’re a writer, an English major, of course you’re going to have great context clues skills, but I can almost always guess how a movie or television show is going to end. Don’t ask me how or why, but I feel like my intuition is the driving factor behind my talent (or is it just OCD?) to analyze every and all interactions.
The Facts: Are Women Actually More Intuitive than Men?
To my surprise, research doesn’t actually show that my last few statements are entirely true. (HAHA I hope I have successfully ragebaited some of you.)
It’s true that women come off as more intuitive, but the full truth is we really aren’t. In most of the publications I’ve read, it describes females using their intuition more frequently than males, but it’s not necessarily true that women are more intuitive than men. We just tend to trust and utilize our instincts to make decisions more frequently than them.
After I read a bunch of articles online, the reality of this became more and more clear.
Men don’t lack intuition; they almost ignore it.
This one article I read online described men’s ability to compartmentalize their thinking and their lack of ability to move back and forth from intuition to logic comes from multiple factors:
Biology: Research supports that male brains often have stronger pathways between the front and back, areas tied to perception and action.
History: Men have often taken on roles that demand singular focus, like hunting or protecting, causing them to see emotional distractions as risky.
Psychology: The ability to isolate experiences can help keep some men present and functional without letting other areas spill over.
Sociology: The notion that women are more sensitive while men are urged to be more linear thinkers and almost ignore their feelings has created this narrative in today’s society. It’s simply just a fact that we push this “role” onto our men.
So, what can we do as women to trust the intuitive thinking that we should be paying attention to more? And how can men start to use their intuition to make better decisions? Practice intuitive thinking, of course!
Practicing Intuitive Thinking
Practicing intuitive thinking probably comes off as easy; it may even sound silly to practice, but it’s so important to train your mind to trust your body and heart.
I find myself practicing this the most in yoga and Pilates classes. Training my breathing, calming my nerves, all while working out, has, in turn, allowed intuitive feelings to come naturally to me.
It's gotten easier with time, but in the stillness of my practice, I found the most beautiful, accurate thoughts come straight from my pretty little head. I just needed to feed myself the following to really tap into my intuition:
The luxury of having a calm mind: A recent Substack article opened my eyes to this point. The author, Laura Durban, said, “Forceful compulsion suppresses intuition and causes tension, tightness and anxiety. Time, space and freedom allows intuition to become noticeable. Stress and noise can distract us and disrupt our intuition.” It’s painfully obvious when stressed or anxious that my intuition isn't spot on. Sometimes it won’t show up at all and leave me regretting my decisions and questioning myself. Having a calm mind is a luxury, and I will forever be grateful for creating this environment for myself and my intuition.
The freedom of being in tune with your emotions: Similarly, self-regulation, patience, and listening to my emotions have really brought me to a place where I can focus on my intuitive thoughts. Being in tune with my feelings and putting myself first really allows me to thoughtfully think about myself and eliminates any resentment I could have if I were putting others before myself. Listening to my emotions became easier for me as my frontal lobe developed, but also when I realized that I was making myself miserable by not putting myself first. I’m not saying be selfish, but I am saying stop ignoring what you want and see the difference it will make in how you feel towards yourself and others. There is so much freedom in being in tune with your emotions this way!
The power of consistent movement: As I mentioned before, I notice when I work out and fit consistent movement in my routine, I’m happier, and my body feels ready to take on whatever my intuition picks up. Sometimes being intuitive can bring up bad feelings like doubts and anxiety, but when I’m headstrong and happy, I feel mentally stronger to take on whatever is to come. Being intuitive has its perks, but it isn’t always positive, and I’m thankful to have a body that can move. It really is a game-changer when having to face the hardships of, well, just life.
The benefits of mindless journaling: This last tool is something I struggle with, even when I know it’s helpful. I’m not one to consistently journal anything important, but I do love the idea of putting my thoughts to paper at times. So, when I need it, I mindlessly journal. I don’t force myself to say anything specifically, but I give myself the space to write things down. Ideas, feelings, goals. Anything. Mindless journaling might not be for everyone, but it’s still a good tool to have in your pocket as you're trying to prioritize trusting your intuition.
Trusting Your Gut as a Woman
Trusting your gut as a woman is a loaded statement to me because, honestly, not many people trust our guts in the first place. It can be draining to be told to lessen that feeling. Some might just not get it, so we suppress it. We ignore it. And after some time, we forget the power we possess in the first place. All because of a person who can’t seem to fathom that the feelings you have in your body are real.
My advice is to trust yourself, have discernment, and never push back those intuitive thoughts that you can’t stop yourself from feeling.
And yes, there’s a difference between intuition and intrusive thoughts. Distinguishing between those feelings will be hard, but you know what serves you and what doesn’t. Using your discernment will only guide your intuition towards what is meant for you.
As a woman, I can absolutely resonate with the idea that we have power. My intuition tells me so, but I’m not always sure what to do with it.
Trust your gut, practice intuitive thinking, and let me know how it goes for you!
Thanks for reading! See you in March! XOXO
