Hunch, instinct, deeper knowing, intuition. There are many names for gut feelings or the ability to immediately understand something without conscious reasoning. Studies show that pairing gut feelings with analytical thinking helps you make better, faster, and more accurate decisions and gives you more confidence in your choices than relying on intellect alone. This is especially true when you’re overthinking or when there is no single clear-cut, “correct” option.

Despite popular belief, there’s a deep neurological basis for intuition. Scientists call the stomach the “second brain” for a reason. There’s a vast neural network of 100 million neurons lining your entire digestive tract. That’s more neurons than are found in the spinal cord, which points to the gut’s incredible processing abilities.

When you approach a decision intuitively, your brain works in tandem with your gut to quickly assess all your memories, past learnings, personal needs, and preferences and then makes the wisest decision given the context. In this way, intuition is a form of emotional and experiential data that leaders need to value.

“Trusting your gut is trusting the collection of all your subconscious experiences,” says Melody Wilding, a licensed therapist and professor of human behavior at Hunter College. “Your gut is this collection of heuristic shortcuts. It’s this unconscious-conscious learned experience center that you can draw on from your years of being alive,” she explains. “It holds insights that aren’t immediately available to your conscious mind right now, but they’re all things that you’ve learned and felt. In the moment, we might not be readily able to access specific information, but our gut has it at the ready.”

How to Leverage Your Intuition in Decision-Making

Carve out time to reflect. After a meeting or interaction that requires a decision on your part, give yourself mental space to reflect. You have to create space to listen to what your gut is saying. However, be sure to give yourself reasonable time constraints to prevent overthinking.

Be aware of your feelings to discern intuition from fear. Fear has a pushing energy, as if you’re trying to force something, or selecting an option because you want to avoid a threat, rejection, or punishment. Intuition on the other hand has pulling energy, as if your choice is moving you toward your best interest, even if that means pursuing a risk or moving more slowly than others.

Start by making minor decisions. Taking quick, decisive actions with small consequences gets you comfortable using your intuition. By starting small, you mitigate feelings of overwhelm and can gradually step your way up to larger, high-pressure decisions with greater self-trust.

Test drive your choices. Instead of overthinking, role play it. For 2-3 days, act as if you’ve chosen Option A. Observe how you think and feel. Then, for another 2-3 days, try on Option B. At the end of the experiment, take stock of your reactions. Simulating the outcome can tell you a lot about the outcome you desire, and which decision would be best for you.

Fall back on your values. Your core values represent what’s most important to you and can help you pinpoint the source of your frustration and understand it more clearly. Using your values, you can check-in to figure out what feels off internally and gain perspective on the situation.

Finally, keep in mind that intuition can’t flourish in busy, stressful environments. Give your mind space to wander and make connections. Remember, while intuition is not perfect, it’s also a decision-making tool you’re likely underutilizing at the moment. Give these strategies a try, and you’ll probably be surprised to find that your gut is a more powerful decision-making tool than you may have realized.

 

References:
Harvard Business Review (2022, March 10) Melody Wilding: How to Stop Overthinking and Start Trusting Your Gut
Fast Company (2016, April 7) Liz Winston: The Hidden Power in Trusting Your Gut Instincts
The Economist (2022, August 18) Bartleby: When to Trust Your Instincts as a Manager